The Neglected House and its Champions
by Cherry Blossom Angel 18
Summary: What if Cedric Diggory wasn't the only champion to come from Hufflepuff house? What if Harry had someone looking out for him since before his first day at Hogwarts? I bring you the story of two Hufflepuffs who stick to the shadows and try not to get themselves noticed. No spoilers for Cursed Child. Sunday Updates.
1. Pre-Hogwarts Chapter 1

Author's note: I don't own Harry Potter. This story is on-going but I have most of it written. I haven't read Cursed Child, so no Spoilers! :) This will be a nice long story broken up into three parts, Pre-Hogwarts years, Hogwarts years, and Post-Hogwarts years. I'd like to share writing credit with RandomMuggle who originally came up with the idea. Without further ado, I present The Neglected House and it's Champions. -

Pre-Hogwarts

Chapter 1

Late September 1987

Most would say that it all began that day in the room of requirement, with the DA. Others will argue that it started when the girls received their Hogwarts letters. However, the beginning was even before the day they were accepted. The beginning was so quiet most didn't even notice that the story had begun. The story began on a sunny autumn day, with two 9 year-old girls and a swing.

Leilani was sitting on a swing, lonely, but enjoying the quiet, when she met Jo. Her content loneliness wasn't going to last long.

"Want a push?"

Leilani turned her head to see a tall girl with short, uncontrollable hair grinning at her. She gave a tentative nod, and the girl gave a gleeful shout. The girl grabbed the swing and began to twist it, winding it up. Before Leilani knew what had happened, the girl had hauled back and given the swing a mighty shove, and the world became a blur.

When the world stopped spinning and the rollercoaster came to a stop, the grinning girl was still there. Leilani hopped off the swing as fast as she could and opened her mouth to speak, when she realized her voice was sore from screaming. The girl wasn't fazed by her speechlessness. She easily sat on the tall swing and said,

"My turn!"

It was the beginning of a friendship that would rock the world.

It wasn't until that night when Leilani told her parents about her day that she realized she never got the girl's name.


	2. Pre-Hogwarts Chapter 2

Author's note: Still don't own Harry Potter, still haven't read Cursed Child. The next two chapters are flashbacks to before the two girls met. If you ever have trouble pronouncing something, like a name, drop me a note and I'll make sure to let you know.

Pre-Hogwarts

Chapter 2

October, 1985

Leilani was 7-years-old and her dad was supposed to pick her up from school today. It was 3:30 in the afternoon and she was sitting on the steps in front of her school and her dad was late. He was never late, and it made her nervous. What if something had happened? Kanani was sick today, what if she'd gotten worse? Or what if her dad had been in an accident? She should call him, but she didn't have any money for a payphone. Suddenly, she spotted a boy on the bleachers, probably about her sister's age playing with a coin. Leilani stood and walked over to him and his friend. "Do you have money for a payphone?" she asked.

The boy tucked his hand into his coat pocket and said, "No."

"I need to call my dad, he's supposed to come get me, but he's late. I saw the coin you were playing with, can I use it to call my dad?"

"I don't have anything," the boy said. Leilani had a temper, a temper that was made worse when she was nervous. That temper flared and out of frustration and annoyance Leilani took the heavy hardback book in her arms and smacked the boy, hitting him in the head- a feat made possible by the fact that he was sitting down, thus bringing him down to her level. Leilani stomped back over to her book-bag and sat down with a huff. Twenty minutes later, her parents pulled up in the car and Leilani ran to it, throwing her things in the trunk and climbing in beside her sister-Kanani was evidently feeling better-in the back seat.

"Sorry we're late, Sweets," her dad apologized.

"Your dad had a fight with his car, it wouldn't start and he tried to fix it. With Magic," her mom explained with a wry grin. Leilani laughed, her nerves and temper calming. Of course her dad had tried to fix the car, and had probably broken it in the process. Leilani's dad was a technology challenged, pure blood wizard named Aloiki Akina. He had met her mom, Jessica-a muggle-, when he'd moved to England from Hawaii thirteen years ago.


	3. Pre-Hogwarts Chapter 3

Authors Note: I don't own Harry Potter. I'm going on vacation next week so I might upload chapter 4 early. Some reviews or favorites would be lovely, but I'll understand if you wait until we get to the Hogwarts years. Like the last chapter this is a flashback.

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Pre-Hogwarts

Chapter 3

Spring of 1985

She was 7 years old, they were 12 and they were torturing her Butterflies.

Every spring, clouds of Silver Studded Blue Butterflies flew through Jocelyn Montgomery's elementary school in Devon, England. But this year was different, because last year a group of 12-year-old boys hadn't brought butterfly nets. Last year they hadn't caught butterflies, only to pin them down with push pins through their wings. Last year they hadn't watched those butterflies struggle on squares of cut up corkboard, the sun shining on gorgeous, shimmering blue wings and selling them to other students for lunch money.

Last year, Jocelyn hadn't had to stand up for her butterflies, but this year she would. This year, Jocelyn walked straight up to those boys and looked them in the eye, because even though they were 5 years older than she was, they were near the same height. This year, Jocelyn took one of their butterfly nets away and chucked it across the yard as hard as she could.

This year, Jocelyn took the lid off the box the boys had trapped those beautiful blue butterflies in and set her butterflies free. Then she turned to the boys who had been yelling at her, plunked her hands on her hips and told them, "Stop hurting my butterflies."

The boys weren't afraid of her though, she was 7 and they were 12, they may not be bigger but they were boys and to them that meant that they were faster, never scared and superior in every way.

The leader boy straightened himself up as tall as he could and crossed his arms over his chest and tried to look fierce. Maybe this would have frightened off another little girl but Jocelyn Montgomery was not an ordinary little girl; she was stubborn and used to dealing with a big brother, so this boy did not scare her in the least. Jocelyn Montgomery was not afraid of this boy, nor was she afraid when the wind picked up and the street lamps out side the school began to flicker.

Jocelyn had gotten used to these strange happenings; she figured she was haunted. She figured that for most little girls, being haunted was not a good thing, but Jocelyn liked it because it gave her someone to talk to, someone all her own. It also helped that her 'ghost' came to her aid when she got worked up over something, like a group of boys pulling the wings off her butterflies.

"Stop hurting my butterflies," she'd said.

The boy smiled and responded, "Make me."

Jocelyn pounced, one second she was standing with her arms crossed, the next she had knocked the boy to the ground and was sitting on his chest, her hand balled up and pulled back, ready to pound the snot out of him.

"How would you like it if I punched you in the face and then had you drawn and quartered?" the boy wasn't sure what that meant but it didn't sound good. "Why don't we try and find out?" Her fist pulled back a little farther and then flew towards his jaw only to stop a centimeter away. She never actually hit anyone, threaten sure, but actually punch someone? She hadn't the need to.

"Get offa me you crazy girl!" She obliged and the boy took off after his friends, who had scrammed when she pounced on their leader. 15 minutes later she was sitting in the principal's office.

"Jocelyn, why would you threaten someone? Is everything ok at home?" _Of course_ , everything wasn't ok at home! Her parents had just finalized their divorce last year and her mom was working long hours at the bank in order to support them, leaving Jocelyn's brother Jonathan to take care of her and their 3 year old sister Jillian.

"Nobody hurts my Butterflies and gets away with it." Jocelyn said darkly.

From that day on, Jocelyn became Jo; the tough, smart mouthed girl, who would one day become one of the greatest protectors Hogwarts had ever known.


	4. Pre Hogwarts Chapter 4

Author's note: I still don't own Harry Potter. Five more chapters till the girls arrive at Platform 9 3/4. Chapters will stay mostly short for a while but will get longer.

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Pre-Hogwarts

Chapter 4

Early July, 1987

Today would be a good day. Of course, to Jo, everyday spent at the beach is sure to be a good one. As she scanned the beach she saw a boy building a fort with small rocks and sand. Jo suddenly knew what to do with this good day. But first,

"Leili! C'mon! I've got an idea!"

Jo's new friend, Leilani, trotted over with a curious look on her face, Jo just motioned for her to follow.

"Hey! You want help?" Jo asked the boy, who was her senior by about 4 years, but still smaller than her.

He looked the two of them up and down and then said, "Sure, I need some bigger rocks though."

Jo grinned and looked over at Leilani, who just looked back. "I think we can handle that."

And so the girls wandered off in search of larger rocks. Which they found in the water.

Submerged.

"Gha!" _Splash!_

And stuck.

Jo came up, shaking her head like a dog and spitting out seawater. Leilani was trying hard not to laugh as Jo glared at the offending rock.

"Maybe we should try to dig under it?" Leilani offered.

Jo dropped her glare in favor of nodding to Leilani, saying, "You have smaller fingers, so, you dig, I'll pull."

With much scrabbling and digging, heaving and huffing, the girls managed to get the rock to shore. However, Jo quickly realized that without water, the rock was too heavy for her to lift alone. That annoyed her, until she really looked at it and realized it was as big as her torso and weighed about 80 pounds. Then it made sense.

So Jo and Leilani got on either side of the rock and heaved with all their strength. They managed to get it about six inches off the ground and crab-walked over to the boy's fortress. They dropped their loot with a solid thump.

"Woah!" The boy and his friends all gathered around; amazed.

The boy's mother came over and asked incredulously, "You girls moved that by _yourselves_?" Slowly, the girls understood that they had accomplished something so simple, and yet something that no one thought they could.

Teamwork, they realized, could get them farther than anyone had ever dreamed.

It was a good day.


	5. Pre-Hogwarts Chapter 5

I don't own Harry Potter. I'm on vacation this week so you'll probably only get one chapter from me, Enjoy!

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Pre-Hogwarts

Chapter 5

August 1987

Jo had arrived at Leilani's house for the first time about an hour ago, she'd been given a tour and had met Leili's dog, Annie, a fluffy West Highland terrier who had taken quite a liking to Jo.

"What would you say if I told you that I'm a witch?" Leili asked now, after closing her bedroom door.

"As in, abracadabra and alakazam?"

"Close enough."

"Tell me _everything_!" Jo demanded excitedly.

Leili grinned and began to tell her everything she knew, beginning with animals.

"First off, dragons are real, they're kind of rare and because they're dragons they have really tough skin so when a dragon dies- and I'm told that a dragon is like an organ donor, various parts are used for various things and the rest is buried or cremated or something- anyway when a dragon dies they use the skin for protective clothing, blood for potion ingredients, heart strings for wand cores and everything else for various things.

"Unicorns and centaurs and werewolves are real, I dunno about vampires or fairies though. Magic wands are real! And there are potions and spells and it's all really cool. And, we can travel by fireplace! If two fireplaces are hooked up to the Floo network then we can grab a handful of this glittery silver powder, toss it on the fire, step inside-the powder makes the fire bright green and totally harmless- say where you want to go and woosh! There you go!

"It's totally awesome, but if you mispronounce it you get spat out in the wrong place. Floo powder is smart, if it can't understand where you want to go, it'll guess, so, mispronounce Diagon alley and you'll be spit out in Knockturn alley, a place, I'm told, no sane person ever wants to be."

"Hey, Leili? What kind of tree is in your front yard?" Jo asked.

"It's a, um, watermelon red Mauling Myrtle," Leili said, watching Jo carefully for her reaction. She was giving her a lot of information and so far, she wasn't running screaming from the room, but a magical tree _could_ just be the last straw. The Mauling Myrtle resembled the Crepe Myrtles of the muggle world, with one dangerous difference. If the tree didn't like you, or felt you were a danger to what it guarded, you were promptly mauled.

"I'm naming her Molly. Can we put a swing on her?" Jo grinned.


	6. Pre-Hogwarts Chapter 6

A/n: Hey look, internet access! 4 more chapters till Hogwarts! I am starting fall semester again a week from Tuesday so I'm not sure how much time I'll have to upload chapters so I ask for your patience. I have read Cursed Child but I'm not sure if I want to add a chapter for it or not, but that's a ways away anyway. Anyway, I don't own Harry Potter. Enjoy!

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Pre-Hogwarts

Chapter 6

July 2nd, 1988

10-year old Jo woke that morning to the sound of an owl outside her bedroom window. She heard it and thought she must be dreaming because there were no owls at 9 in the morning, not in Brighton, England. So she rolled over and tried to go back to sleep, but the owl was persistent; it kept making noise until it got her attention. Jo finally gave up on going back to sleep, opting instead to look out her window for the stubborn bird she didn't think was really there. But lo and behold there _was_ an owl there, a barn owl if she wasn't very much mistaken.

This owl was sitting on the back of the porch swing outside her window and in its beak was what looked like a letter and it was addressed to her. All caution flew out the window as she quietly ran to the front door. She unlocked the door and closed it behind her as she stepped out onto the brick porch in her bare feet before moving to the swing where the owl had turned to look at her. She approached carefully and slowly, wanting not to scare it away. She managed to sit right beside the surprisingly large bird before it dropped the letter in her lap. She expected it to fly away, but it didn't, it just sat there and looked at her. Very slowly she inched her hand up to stroke the white feathers that ruffled slightly in the mild breeze that blew through every now and again.

"Well, aren't you pretty? And so well behaved, you can't possibly be wild," she said as she stroked the downy feathers on its chest and back. She gave the bird one more stroke before moving to open her letter. The writing on the front was in green ink and very pretty handwriting and on the back was a purple wax seal with a coat of arms which showed four small creatures-she couldn't quite make them out-looking at a central 'H' and above the coat of arms, a banner reading 'Hogwarts' and below it another banner saying something in Latin.

Briefly she wondered if this was something Leilani had cooked up as an early birthday present; her house was full of strange things and Jo's birthday was only 3 months away, but then again, there was no way she could have found a live owl to deliver this letter. She might have put a toy owl on top of the letter and left it by the front door but a real one? Not very likely. She pondered this oddity as she carefully popped the wax seal and drew out the heavy parchment papers inside.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Miss Montgomery,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress

Jo gaped at the letter, school of witchcraft and wizardry? She had to call Leili, had to make sure this wasn't from her, usually if Leili were to do something this elaborate there would be something in it that served as a note letting Jo know it was from her, but the only thing on the second page was a list of supplies: Three sets of plain work robes (black), One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear, One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar), One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings), a very long list of books, along with 1 wand, 1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2), 1 set glass or crystal phials, 1 telescope, 1 set brass scales, and a note saying students may also bring, if they desire, an owl, a cat, OR a toad.

There was no hand-drawn smiley face, or Leili's signature rose hiding in a corner, nor was there an early birthday card hiding in the envelope. Jo turned to the owl beside her and said, "Stay. I'll be back," she ran into the house, grabbed the phone and started dialing Leili's number. She called Leilani twice before she picked up,

"Hello?"

"Did you send me a letter? By owl?" It was a habit of Jo's to not answer the phone with a greeting, choosing instead to get right to the point.

"A letter? No, I may have emailed you, but I haven't _mailed_ you anything and not by owl, why?"

"Because I've got a letter and an owl on my porch. It says it's from Hogwarts and a Minerva McGonagall?" Jo explained, returning to her seat on the swing.

"Oh my god! Jo! That's brilliant! That's fantastic! Congratulations!" There was silence on Jo's end of the line and Leili's amusement grew, "You have no idea what I'm talking about do you."

"Not a clue."

"Ok, it's what 9:30? How about I come over in like an hour and explain it?"

"Let me ask Mom. Leili?"

"Hmm?"

"You're sure you didn't send this?"

"Yes, Jo, I'm sure, go talk to your mom," Jo stood and found her way to her mom's room.

"Hey, mom? Can Leili come over today?"

"Sure, what time?"

"10:30."

"Ok," Jo lifted the phone to her ear again as she closed her mom's door and went to get dressed,

"Leili?"

"I'm here!"

"Mom said ok. So I'll see you in an hour?"

"Yes, I will see you in an hour, and I will explain everything, trust me, it's really cool."

"Ok. Talk to you soon, Bye."

"Bye!" The hour flew by and soon there was a knock at the front door, Jo ran to open it and found Leili standing there with the biggest grin on her face since the day they met. As Jo let Leili in the house she held up 2 pieces of parchment nearly identical to the ones Jo had received that morning.

"You got one too?"

"I got one too!"

"When?"

"In April, just after my birthday. That's normally when they send them, around your 11th birthday but I'm guessing that since your birthday is in September they sent it as close to your birthday as they could while still getting a response by the end of the month," Leili explained as the girls walked to the bedroom Jo shared with her little sister Jillian.

"Hey, Leili!" Jo's mom called from her room.

"Hi!" Leili called back before joining Jo in her room and greeting Jillian, "Hey, Squirt." Jillian pouted, "I'm gonna be taller than you."

"Yeah well, you aren't yet and you're not gonna be for a while yet and you know what Squirt? You are always going to be younger than me," Leilani told the 6 year old with a grin.

"So, explain."

"Remember when we were 9 and you came over for the first time? My tree liked you, and I told you she was a Mauling Myrtle?"

"Yeah, I named her Molly and asked if we could put a swing on her. It was that day that you told me you're a witch and I thought it was like the coolest thing ever."

"This," Leilani said gesturing with the acceptance letter in her hand, "is an acceptance letter to a sort've boarding school in Scotland, it's called Hogwarts. My sister goes there, my dad went there. I am going to be going there in September. And apparently you can too. There are six schools like this that I know of, there's Hogwarts in Scotland, Beauxbatons Academy in France, The Durmstrang Institute in Norway, and Ilvermorny in the U.S., along with schools in Japan and Russia.

"They're schools of magic! Jo, it's _just_ like when we were 9 and you befriended the vicious, magical tree in my front yard! In fact, I'm told Hogwarts _has_ a magical, vicious tree! Durmstrang is an all pure-blood school, I don't know if Beauxbatons admits muggle-borns or half-bloods but do I know that Hogwarts admits all three and so does Ilvermorny. Basically, you're a witch and you can do magic, whether you know it or not."

"What are all the books? What do they mean by robes? And what do you mean by half-blood/pure-blood"

"Ok, books and robes," Leili pulled her backpack between them, she'd plunked it beside her when they'd sat on the floor and now started pulling things out, "The books all look like this, this is 'the standard book of spells grade 1' and the 'beginner's guide to transfiguration', and 'magical drafts and potions'." Leili grinned, "I came prepared. These are the robes," she stood and shook out what looked like a black cloak with long sleeves and a small Hogwarts crest on the right side of the chest.

"The robes are exactly what they sound like, robes. All first years wear plain black robes, since we don't know what house we'll be sorted into when we buy them. Hogwarts has a uniform, which is unfortunate, but really it could be worse. You're allowed to buy robes to match your house as soon as you know it, but most people wait 'till 2nd year. Under the robes you wear a white button down shirt and a pleated black or grey skirt with knee high socks or tights and plain black shoes.

"First years wear black ties with a Hogwarts crest, you're allowed to change that as soon as you know your house, but again, most people just wait a year. The cloaks button for winter and are really warm. First and Last day of class you wear a black pointy hat. Not the typical witch's hat you see in pictures, it's more like the pointy hat medieval princesses wore, the ones with the veil? Only black and without the veil." Leili paused for a breath before barreling on.

"As for the blood status thing, it's really stupid. I'm a half blood, one magic parent and one muggle parent, you are muggle-born, two muggle parents and then my dad is actually pureblood, he had two magic parents. And there's one thing, when we get to school you may find that some people are mean because they have a bug up their butts about mixing magic with muggle."

"How long have you known about being a witch? I mean you knew before you told me so when did you find out?"

"Since I was 7, I accidently charmed my snowball to hit my sister in the face. Though technically, I wasn't acknowledged as a witch until April."

"What do you mean technically?"

"In magical families there's this thing where, sometimes magical parents have a non-magic baby, it's kind of the opposite of a Muggle born. They're called Squibs, and they're basically muggles born to magic parents. So with any magical family, even if it's just one parent, there's a chance of a squib. And there's nothing wrong with them, they just can't do magic. So, _technically_ until you get your acceptance letter you don't know for a fact that you're a witch. But nobody really goes by that anymore, it's all about when you did your first bit of magic and whether it was intentional or not."

"You kept mentioning house colors?"

"There are four houses and are ranked in popularity as Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin and Hufflepuff. Gryffindor is red and gold, Ravenclaw blue and bronze, Slytherin is green and silver and Hufflepuff is yellow and black."

"Hufflepuff… Sounds like a marshmallow."

"Yeah, lots of people make that connection."

"I like marshmallows."

"Each house has an animal to represent it, Hufflepuff is a honey badger, and it turns out that there are 11 different species of badger, which I didn't know. Ravenclaw is not a raven it is an eagle, apparently eagles are a symbol for a broader vision and strength of mind and heart-I didn't know that either but I asked Kanani and she told me-, Gryffindor is a lion, for bravery, and then Slytherin is a snake, I think because they're slippery buggers, that or they're slimy."

"What house is your sister in?"

"Hufflepuff. What else?"

"Do you have a wand?"

"Not yet, we're going in a couple of weeks, all this stuff was my sister's."

"Is there a tuition?" A voice said from the doorway, Leili turned to see Jo's mom leaning against the doorframe.

"I don't know. I never asked."

"Where do we get school books and various things?" Jo's mom asked as she joined her youngest daughter on the bed and took the list of books and supplies from Leili.

"There's this place, it's called Diagon Alley and it's hidden behind a pub and blocked from view by this brick wall that rearranges to form an archway when you tap the bricks in the right order. It's in London. And we get to school by a train; it leaves from King's Cross Station, technically."

There was a knock at the front door, so Jo's mom left the three of them to answer it. On the opposite side of the door was a young man, somewhere around 30 by the look of him. He was almost 6 feet tall and was wearing brightly colored robes. Bright blue eyes combined with pale blonde hair and a strong, if slightly scruffy, jaw made him quite attractive.

"Can I help you?" the girls heard Jo's mom ask.

"My name is Jack Evans, I work at the post and I'm here to explain to you and your daughter, Jocelyn, about Hogwarts and magic." He flashed a grin and a badge identifying him as what he claimed to be. "May I come in, Ms. Montgomery?" Jo's mom stepped aside and held the door open for the post-worker. "Thank you."

Jack explained when the four of them, plus Jo's older brother Jonathan, had gathered in the living room that a witch or wizard who worked with the post would explain and deliver the acceptance letter but unfortunately, Jo's letter had been tossed in the owl pile instead of the hand deliver pile and so the acceptance letter had been sent via owl.

Jack explained that there was a muggle to wizard currency converter in Diagon Alley so buying supplies wouldn't be a problem for them. Hogwarts had no tuition; the cost of magical education was covered by the Ministry of Magic. Jack handed Jo a train ticket that read London to Hogwarts, platform 9 ¾, September 1st at 11 am, King's Cross Station. He explained that the ticket served mainly as a reminder, it would not be taken away for boarding.

"Well, what do you think Jo?" her mom asked when Jack was done explaining.

"Boarding school?" Jo asked, turning to look at Leili.

"In Scotland," Leili affirmed with a smile.

"I always wanted to live in a small town," Jo said with a grin by way of reply.


	7. Pre Hogwarts Chapter 7

A/n: I don't own Harry Potter. Is anyone else having difficulty uploading chapters using Safari? This chapter is based on a true story, the names have been omitted to protect those involved.

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Pre-Hogwarts

Chapter 7

Early August, 1988

The month before Leilani and Jocelyn were to board the Hogwarts Express for the first time they returned to the camp where they had met, three years earlier. It was a warm day in late summer. Jo had gone inside to talk to someone, Leilani opting to stay outside on the tan and red plastic jungle-gym with her newest book, which after tucking her short brown hair behind a pierced ear she picked up and flipped open to a marked page.

After a short time Leilani looked up from her page and saw a little girl being ganged up on by boys twice her size.

Putting her book down and going down the attached slide she marched over and, hands on her hips, sternly told the boys, "Stop picking on someone who can't fight back!"

Later she would realize, that that was _probably_ the wrong thing to say since the leader of the bullies came up behind her and forced her to her hands and knees in the grass.

The boy sat on her back, hands fisted in her tresses as if she were a horse whose mane he was gripping to keep from falling off. Leilani rolled forward to dislodge the boy and to get him to release his death grip on her hair.

Unfortunately, when he let go of her hair, he grabbed her by the neck instead so that when she rolled over, she took him with her.

"Stella…" She gasped, fighting against the hands around her throat, "Go find Jo!" The little girl, Stella, scrambled to her feet and ran inside to find Jocelyn. One moment the girl was gone and the next Jo had grabbed the boy by the back of his shirt collar and pulled him off Leilani, who promptly sat up and inhaled deeply while rubbing her throat.

Jo tossed the boy onto the concrete and turned a murderous glare on the others. "Scram!" she growled between clenched teeth.

As the boys scattered Jo turned back to the ringleader on the grass. Jo advanced and he scrambled backwards, watching her like she was a wild animal about to strike.

"You think it's fun, huh? Picking on people?" Her lip curled, "Of course it's fun. It's not like they can fight back, can they? They're weak. You need to put them in their place." She smiled, and it was the most frightening thing he'd ever seen in his short life. "If you ever pick on anyone again, I'll know and I'll be the one who has _fun_." The boy got up and ran, and Jo turned back to Leilani.

"You alright, Leili?" she asked, her voice softer and concerned, looking her over and seeing only a red mark circling her neck.

"Yeah," Leilani answered, "I don't think _he_ is, though."

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A/n: I'd like to thank the four people who've followed or favourited this story, It's really nice to know that you guys are reading and that you do like it. 2 more chapters to go until we arrive at Hogwarts!


	8. Pre-Hogwarts Chapter 8

A/N: Okiedokie folkipolkies, just one more chapter after this in the Pre-Hogwarts section! As usual, I don't own Harry Potter! Also, please excuse any errors in punctuation! My grammar is usually pretty good but my punctuation can get a little creative.

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Pre-Hogwarts

Chapter 8

August 20th, 1988

Two rainy weekends before Jo and Leili were to leave for Hogwarts, Leili and her parents took Jo, Jillian and their mom through the pub that guarded the barrier between the muggle world and the magic world. Jo and her family watched with interest as the bricks in the wall in front of them moved to create an archway which revealed the bustle of an alley crowded with colorful shops and cloaked people.

Leili watched Jo as Jo watched the people with wide eyes, " _This_ is Diagon alley," she said with relish, showing off just a little.

"Wow," Jo said.

"Ready?" Leili asked taking Jo's hand.

"Where do we start?"

"Trunks and trolleys first," Leili's dad said from under his umbrella. After snagging a trolley, they both bought trunks and went on to find the uniform essentials. They made a stop in Flourish and Blott's and bought Jo the proper schoolbooks; Leili had her sister's old books so she was set. They moved on to Potage's cauldron shop, purchasing two pewter cauldrons before going next door to Wiseacre's and buying two sets of brass scales, two telescopes and two glass phials.

Jillian was having the time of her life; gazing open mouthed at all the things her sister would get to use. To keep her from getting _too_ distracted, Jo set her to schlepping. The girls would hand her the lighter weight items, instructing her to place one of each on each trolley before they carried the heavier things like the telescopes and the cauldrons. Trolleys loaded with almost everything on their lists the five of them headed out once more into the rain, on their way to the south side of Diagon alley to meet Ollivander.

On their way down the alley, Eeylops Owl Emporium and Magical Menagerie distracted all three girls; out front, a bat hung on the sign with a little umbrella keeping the rain off it and wide-awake owls watched passersby.

Jo was drawn to a barn owl that was on a perch without a cage. The bird had intelligent black eyes and tan feathers that would glow golden when the sun shone on them. Leili wandered inside and admired the animals. As she turned around to see where Jillian had gone-Leilani saw it as partly her responsibility to keep an eye on the eight year old-a sleek black kitten with amber eyes dropped from a shelf to her shoulder and mewed in her ear.

Jo pulled her jacket down over her hand and offered her arm to the bird, the owl accepted the proffered arm and they went inside to find Leilani scratching the now purring kitten's chin and Jillian admiring a tortoise with, what appeared to be, rubies growing out of its shell.

"You found a moon-faced barn owl," Leili grinned at Jo.

"And you found a pretty black cat," Jo said with a scratch behind the feline's ears.

"How very Friday the 13th of me, yes?"

"Our letters say we're allowed a pet, right?" Jo double-checked, she _really_ liked this owl.

"A cat, an owl, or a toad," Jillian recited, she'd memorized Jo's letter with just a little envy the night before.

"Muuum…" Jo said, just as Leili went, "Daaad…" they both flashed their best, 'pretty please' grin and they both managed to walk out with a new pet under the condition that they be able to take care of them. Jillian, however was not so lucky, she had to leave the tortoise behind. Her mother told her that the owl was practical, the tortoise was not; she also said, with a conspiratorial smile, that _maybe_ they could get a dog someday. _That_ perked Jillian up considerably.

As the girls walked out of the shop Leilani leaned towards Jo and asked with a grin, "So, is today a good day?" Jo didn't answer; the day wasn't over yet.

They continued down the alley and filed into the dusty wand shop, the bell jingling above the door. Jo, Jillian and Leili immediately began to look around. There were long, skinny boxes piled everywhere, most of them dusty. The sound of a wheeled ladder coming to a stop commanded the attention of the easily distracted girls.

"Ahh, Aloiki Akina, a reasonably springy Poplar and Dragon, 12 inches, good to see you again. Weren't you in here a few years ago with your daughter? Cedar and Dragon, 11 ½ inches, reasonably supple; a good wand, I trust she's doing well with it?" Ollivander asked, addressing Leili's dad as he descended the ladder. He liked it when former customers came back; it gave him the chance to remember the wand. For the Akina's, stubbornness was in their blood and so it had a tendency to occur in their wands as well.

"She is; she's doing very well, she's starting her third year at Hogwarts soon. This is my second daughter, Leilani and her best friend, Jo and Jo's family. Leilani and Jo are also starting Hogwarts in September." Leili's dad replied, gesturing to the two older girls.

Jo's mom stepped forward, hand held out to shake, "Diana Montgomery, nice to meet you."

"Indeed, indeed, all right then," he shook her hand politely before he walked over to the girls. "Wand arms out please."

Leili lifted her right arm and whispered to Jo, "Dominant arm." Jo nodded and lifted her own right arm. Ollivander measured both girls shoulder to finger, wrist to elbow, knee to armpit, and oddly enough around their heads.

All the while he talked, "Every Ollivander wand has a powerful magical substance as a core: Unicorn hairs, Phoenix tail feathers and Dragon heartstrings. No two of my wands are exactly alike, just as no two witches are exactly alike." Ollivander turned away from the girls and pulled down a box from one wall and another box from the same spot in the opposite wall.

Jo was handed an Ebony and Dragon heart string while Leili was given an English Oak and Dragon, the results weren't catastrophic but were less then favorable. Two more boxes came out, one containing a cherry wand with a unicorn tail hair core and the other an acacia and phoenix feather. "Give them a wave," he told them. Wands were waved and then taken away just as quickly, "No, no, not those, you might break something." Next were alder and aspen and this time something _did_ break.

Wand after wand after wand was tried before Ollivander took a step back and considered the young witches before him, "I wonder…" he said quietly, before turning back to the counter, unburying the first two wands and giving them back; this time, however, he gave Leili the slightly springy 10 ¼ inch Ebony and Dragon and Jo the reasonably supple 13 inch English Oak and Dragon. Warmth spread through their hands and up their arms, followed by a pleasant tingling. They brought the wands up and swung them down; green and gold sparks erupted like fireworks above their heads.

"Oh yeah, today's a _good_ day," Jo answered Leili's earlier question as she admired her wand. Ollivander beamed, he always enjoyed the difficult matches.


	9. Pre-Hogwarts Chapter 9

A/N: So I know I said just one more chapter, but I _just_ wrote this one. :) I don't own Harry Potter. Enjoy!

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Pre-Hogwarts

Chapter 9

August 21st, 1988

The day after their shopping trip the girls sat on the back porch with books strewn all around them. Books for school, books on mythologies, their favorite reading books, baby naming books. Every book they could think of was there, some borrowed from the library, some already owned, some drudged up out of falling apart boxes in the garage and some they weren't sure where came from. Together they sat with their new pets, pouring over these books.

"I still think 'Jareth' is an excellent name," Jo maintained, stroking her owl.

"For a _boy_ ," Leili grinned. " _Your_ bird is a girl. How about 'Athena'?" Leili turned the book she was reading around, showing a picture of an ancient Greek coin with an owl on it.

"Tempting. Keep on the Greek thread. How about 'Faithful' for your cat?"

"Mm, no, doesn't feel right."

"Ooh, how about 'Morrigan'?"

"Better. Kind of a mouthful though."

"Then just 'Morgan'," Jo offered.

" _Morgan_ , I like it! What say you, fuzz?" Leili's cat purred her approval. "Success! Morgan it is! Ok, now for you, let's see, Moon-faced Barn owl... there's 'Selene', Greek Titan Goddess of the moon. Or there's Diana, the Roman equivalent."

Jo made a face of distaste, "No. And I'm not naming my bird after my _mother._ "

Leili laughed, "Okay, how about Artemis? Another Greek Goddess associated with the moon. She is the "Olympian goddess of hunting, the wilderness and wild animals"."

" _Yes_! That one!"


	10. Pre-Hogwarts Chapter 10

A/N: As promised, the least Pre-Hogwarts Chapter :) Hogwarts years start later this week. I don't own Harry Potter. Enjoy!

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Pre-Hogwarts

Chapter 10

September 1st, 1988

This was it. Today was the day. They were starting their first day at Hogwarts today. Jo and Leilani met outside of King's Cross with their new school things in tow. Leilani's sister Kanani had the look of one who was being imposed upon, her sister's enthusiasm was irritating, as was most of the things her sister did. Their group made their way unnoticed through the crowded train station. When they stopped in front of the barrier between platforms 9 and 10, Jo's sister, Jillian, tugged on her mom's sleeve.

"What're they doing?" she asked.

"Watch and find out," her mom replied.

"Ready, Jo?" Leilani asked, "watch this," she said as Kanani walked straight at the barrier and then vanished into it.

"Woah. Cool," Jo said. Leilani turned and threw her arms around her dad's neck in a hug good bye.

"Bye daddy," she gave him a squeeze which he returned before she hugged her mom, "Bye mom!"

"See ya, tweety," her dad said as Leili got a firm grip on her trolley and set off for the barrier at a bit of a run.

"Come on, Jo!" she called as she went through. Jo bid her mom and sister farewell and followed Leili through.

On the other side Kanani waited impatiently, not that there was anything new there; Kanani was usually impatient. When both her sister and Jo had arrived she showed them to the train, a bright, shiny, red and gold engine with 'The Hogwarts Express' emblazoned on the side.

Students, new and returning, and their parents milled around. Kanani showed them inside and then left them to their own devices as she met up with her own friends. Jo and Leili settled into a compartment near the front of the train, let Artemis and Morgan out of their crates and waited for the train to move.


	11. Hogwarts Year 1 Chapter 1

A/N: Here we go, their first year at Hogwarts! Once again, I don't own Harry Potter. :) If I have time, because it's a holiday, I'll throw in another chapter, no extra charge. Enjoy!

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A Castle

September 1st, 1989

First Year

As Jo and Leilani stepped off the Hogwarts express for the first time, Leilani's sister, Kanani, directed them towards a voice calling for first years. Jo and Leili followed the hairy half-giant to a lake where magically propelled boats awaited the students.

The girls climbed into a boat and were joined by three boys, two had red hair and the third wore his black hair in dreadlocks. The boys sat in the back of the boat and whispered excitedly about something, Jo and Leili didn't pay them much mind. The boats set off across the water and soon the Hogwarts Castle could be seen across the lake.

"I want one," Jo said.

Leili looked from her best friend to the castle and back before saying, "I think this means we have one."


	12. Hogwarts Year 1 Chapter 2

A/N: I find myself with some unexpected free time that I should be using to do my math homework. Instead I'm gracing you with Jo and Leilani's sorting! Since I forgot to do it last chapter, I'd like to thank RandomMuggle for coming up with the idea for the story and for many ideas and themes you will find in story. Overtime you see "Can we keep it" or "Can we kill it", think of her because she came up with all of them. I don't own Harry Potter. Enjoy!

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The Sorting

September 1st , 1989

First Year

"Akina, Leilani." The tall witch, Professor McGonagall, called after a slew of names. Leilani tentatively ascended the steps to the stool on which she soon sat, her grey eyes transfixed on what she could see of the hat.

"Quietly stubborn I see… a strong sense of loyalty yes… timid but eager to please. Also a bit of a show off… Hmm. Oh yes, I know Just where to put you," the hat crooned to itself before bursting out with an animated, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

Professor McGonagall lifted the hat off of Leilani's head and the 11 year old headed happily towards her sister's table where students wearing yellow and black ties reminded her, surprisingly, of sunflowers.

Loud Sunflowers.

On her way to her new housemates, she stopped when she saw a familiar face whose hazel eyes were framed with short, unruly dark brown hair. It was Jo; they'd gotten separated on their way to the doors of the Great Hall. She beamed and waved before scampering the rest of the way to her sister's side. Jo smiled amusedly and gave a short wave back to her friend. Several names flew by and the line grew shorter and shorter until Professor McGonagall called out,

"Montgomery, Jocelyn." Jo stiffened slightly as she walked to the stool, as she sat the hat came down and she then understood why the scores of kids before her had focused on what little of the hat they could see.

"Hmm. Viciously loyal, a good mind… not a coward but not spectacularly brave either, yes... issues with authority figures, well we'll fix that quick enough." Jo was now glaring at the Hat's brim for bringing up her authority issues. After a moment of silence, "HUFFLEPUFF!" rang out once again. Suddenly stunned that the hat hadn't turned her away for not belonging, she slipped off the stool and started the walk to the boisterous table of students who, annoyingly, reminded her of bees.

About halfway to the table she was broken out of her daze by cold fingers taking hold of her hand. Startled, Jo looked down and saw the familiar bubble cut of light brown hair. Smiling, she let herself be led to the seat across from Leilani and her sister.

More names and houses rang out along with ecstatic cheers of the four houses. After the sorting had finished the hat was removed and Head Master Dumbledore stood, showing off deep maroon robes with small yellow blobs bordering the sleeves, cleared his throat,

"Before we stuff our faces and rumbly bellies I'd like to welcome our new First Years by leading you all in our school anthem. Now, everyone pick a tune-any tune-Got it? Yes? Good. Let's begin," he said, clearing his throat once more and bouncing into a joyful song.

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts, teach us something, please! Whether we be old and bald or young with scabby knees! Our heads could do with filling, with some interesting stuff, for now they're bare and full of air, dead flies and bits of fluff! So teach us things worth knowing, bring back what we've forgot. Just do your best, we'll do the rest and learn till our brains all rot!" Most everyone finished at a different time since most everyone had a different tune but there was a girl with spiky bubblegum pink hair who finished a second round after everyone else.

"That, is Nymphadora Tonks-don't call her by her first name-she's a fifth year." Leilani's reported to Jo and Leilani when she noticed them staring at her.

"And now, we eat!" Dumbledore announced and with a wave of his arms every table became piled high with food.


	13. Hogwarts Year 1 Chapter 3

_Whomp_

September 2nd, 1989

"Woah! What is _that?_ " Jo asked when she saw the huge tree in the light of day.

" _That_ is the Whomping Willow! My sister's told me about this tree. It's a cousin to a Weeping Willow only instead of weeping, it whomps. Apparently it's vicious."

"How so?"

"Apparently, it whomps birds that try to perch on it, squirrels that try to climb it, anything that tries to get near it."

"Whomps?"

"Like how the Mauling Myrle mauls, the Whomping willow, _whomps_." As testament to this, the willow chose that moment to send a heavy branch crashing to the ground at something they couldn't see.


	14. Hogwarts Year 1 Chapter 4

A/N: I don't own Harry Potter.

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Flying Lessons

September 13th, 1989

First Year

"Good Afternoon, class," a witch with short, spiky grey hair greeted as they spilled out onto the grassy training grounds. She had a button nose and remarkable yellow eyes. She reminded Jo of an imaginary friend she'd once had, a giant eagle with bright yellow eyes that she used to ride around the school.

"Good Afternoon, Madam Hooch," the class greeted back.

"Welcome to your first flying lesson! Now, pick a broomstick and stand on the left, come on, hurry it up. Now, extend your right hand over your brooms and say 'up!'," Madam Hooch directed.

"UP!" They called, and a few brooms leapt right into their prospective rider's hand others, not so much. Jo's broom zoomed into her hand on her second command. Leili's was a bit overzealous, it took her two tries and when her broom did leave the ground, it slapped into her palm with so much force that she had to force it back down to shoulder level.

"Bad Broom," she scolded quietly.

When students struggled Madam Hooch added, "With feeling!". That helped most students. "Now, once you've got a hold of your broom, I want you to mount it. Grip it tight, you don't want to be sliding off the end," she allowed a moment for the firsties to get settled before continuing.

She adjusted the grips that needed adjusting before taking her whistle and saying, "When I blow my whistle, I want each of you to kick off from the ground, hard. Keep your broom steady, hover for a moment, then lean forward slightly and touch back down. On my whistle: three, two, one." she blew and one by one students pushed off and touched back down. A few had trouble getting up or getting down but over all, they did pretty well. The next step was to learn how to fall so as to avoid injury.

"Ideally, you will never fall off your broom, but it does happen, so you want to be prepared. Now, kick off and hover a bit, just high enough that your feet are about a foot off the ground, no higher." Once they were in the air Madam Hooch cast a cushioning charm on the grass. "You want to land feet first, but that isn't always possible so, if falling forward, bend your knees and elbows and bring your arms in front of your face." She blew her whistle and barked, "Begin!"

Students began to roll off their brooms, some landing back first and getting the air knocked out of them, others on their sides, which forced them to flop and again get the wind knocked out of them, Leili was one of those such students. Some were able to land on their sides and roll to their fronts, keeping their elbows and knees bent. Few were able to land on their arms and knees immediately, but those who did would have the fewest sore spots later. "Good, some of you who landed on your sides were able to roll to your fronts, that's good. And I think I saw one or two of you who actually managed to land on your feet, that's very good. Now, try it again." Again and again they fell until they had all managed to fall well, if not properly. "Alright, class dismissed. Well done today." The class got to their feet and began to head back inside.

"Well, that was fun!" Jo said cheerfully, she'd somehow managed a cat-like landing.

"Ow," Leili laughed.


	15. Hogwarts Year 1 Chapter 5

A/N: In honor of the three birthdays I'm celebrating this week and the fact that I discovered my Patronus today, which _totally_ made up for the exceptionally crummy day I had at school, I'm going to give you two chapters this weekend. I don't own Harry Potter. Enjoy!

* * *

Winter Malady

December 20th, 1988

First Year

It was Tuesday, Jo was tucked in bed for the third day in a row now, and her fever kept climbing. Between classes Leili received reports from her cat, Morgan; reports that basically consisted of Morgan bringing Leili Jo's thermometer. Jo had tried to go to class that morning, but when she'd almost fainted on her way, Leili had ordered her back to bed and had given strict instructions to Morgan and Artemis, to keep her posted and Jo in bed.

When Jo's fever had first spiked, late Sunday morning, Leilani had begged, _begged_ Jo to go see Madam Pomfrey but Jo, in her usual stubbornness, had refused. She hated the antiseptic smell of the hospital wing and wasn't overly fond of medicine, especially pills.

So, Leili had borrowed a book on medicinal herbs and brewed a tea of elderberry, rosemary, Echinacea, licorice, chamomile, goldenseal, and yarrow. It didn't taste very good but it helped some, keeping the fever under 102 degrees, if only just under. So Leilani went to class and worried.

In her Monday potions class, her cauldron burned too hot for too long and exploded. In her Tuesday charms class, they were practicing a fire-making spell on candles. Due to her uneasy state, Leili's flame went from non-existent to burning the table. She yelped and backed quickly away from the table as Professor Flitwick doused the fire. The only class that was safe was her Tuesday History of Magic class, due to the fact that it was a bookwork rather than spell work class. She was pretty sure if she tried Transfiguration on Thursday, McGonagall would send her back to bed.

During lunch Leilani bypassed the Great Hall and snuck instead into the kitchens where she begged a favor of one of the house-elves working there. "My best friend is sick, do you have any soup I can take her? And maybe a small bucket for water?" The house elf she asked was really quite accommodating, maybe it was because Leili had looked so pathetic, or maybe it was because she'd asked nicely. She'd never had a house elf growing up, they were interesting little beasties.

The house elf found a bowl and some soup, bread and ice water and put it on a tray. Leili took the tray, thanking the elf profusely and walked very quickly back to Jo. When Leili arrived in the dorm she found a bucket of cold water and a washcloth sitting beside Jo's bed. "Praise the House-elves!" she said before putting the tray down and picking up the wet cloth. She rung it out and folded it up before placing it on Jo's forehead.

Jo stirred, "Hey," she croaked.

"Hi," Leili smiled, "How ya feeling, sickie?"

"Like I was hit by a truck. Shouldn't you be in class?"

"It's lunch time; you hungry? I've got bread and soo-oup," Jo gave Leili her hands and she helped her sit up. Jo ate some and changed her sweaty clothes before going back to bed.

"Hey, do I remember Artemis and Morgan taking my temperature?" Jo asked as Leili called for her cat.

"Yeah, they've been keeping tabs on you for me; you should've seen the looks I got in charms when Morgan came in. You're sure you won't let me go to Madam Pomfrey? Your fever isn't going down. It's at 102.6."

"I'm not dying; my fever isn't anywhere near 103. I'll be fine," Jo insisted. Leili sighed, blowing her bangs out of her face. She picked up her History of Magic book and sat beside the bed to read about Emeric the Evil to Jo, dabbing at her friend's sweaty forehead with the wet cloth every so often. Luckily, Leili didn't have any more classes, as reading about Emeric the evil put even her to sleep.

When Jo's fever spiked to 103, Artemis and Morgan decided to take matters into their own hands, or, well, _limbs_. The pair of them made an interesting sight as they hurried down the halls towards the hospital wing. It was an even more interesting sight when a few minutes later they were seen going back the way they'd come with Madam Pomfrey chasing after them.

Madam Pomfrey quietly entered the girls' dorm and found both totally asleep, a small bomb could have gone off and they wouldn't have budged. Leilani was half curled up on the floor, her history book in her lap and her head pillowed on the arm she'd draped over the side of Jo's bed. She gently closed the door and levitated Leilani into her own bed before walking over and waking Jo.

"I told Leili not to get you…" Jo protested quietly.

"She didn't, see?" Madam Pomfrey said gesturing to Leilani asleep in her bed. "She stayed up to take care of you last night, didn't she?"

"And the night before, and the night before that," Jo admitted. She'd told Leili to get some sleep, but she'd refused. Eventually her own body had won out and she'd crashed.

"You should have come to me immediately, I can cure a mild fever in a heartbeat, this though, this is going to take all night and you're going to have to take all sorts of nasty things."

"That's exactly what I was trying to avoid."

"That's how it usually is, dear. Now, drink this," she said, pressing a bottle to Jo's lips. She nearly choked on the muddy liquid. "Good girl. Now, get some sleep and whenever you wake up, drink lots of water. And take these," Madam Pomfrey ordered, gesturing to the vials she was leaving on the nightstand. Madam Pomfrey stood, drew the curtains tightly over the dorm's round windows, picked up the history book, put it on the table and left, the door clicking closed quietly behind her.

"Bad Cat," Jo scolded Morgan. Looking up she scolded Artemis, "Bad Owl."

Morgan ignored her, going to curl up by Leili's feet. Artemis stared back seemingly saying, "Serves you right." Then again, that may have been the fever talking.

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Leave me a review, please! Tell me what _your_ Patronus is! See you on Sunday!


	16. Hogwarts Year 1 Chapter 6

A/N:As promised, a double upload weekend! Today is my best friend's and my Dad's birthday! Yaaaay! I don't own Harry Potter. Enjoy! Leave a review?

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Mudblood

Mid-February, 1990

First Year

"Filthy little mudblood!" a Ravenclaw boy, Ian Salvia, snapped; he was a year older than Jo but they were about the same height.

WHAM went Jo's fist into his face.

CRUNCH went his nose.

Jo turned on her heel and walked back to Leili.

When they were far enough away from the commotion Jo leaned down and whispered, "What's a mudblood?"

"You don't know what it means and yet you hit someone for it?"

"It didn't sound exactly complimentary."

"It's not. It's a name people use for those who are not Pureblooded wizards. It's used on Muggle Borns and Half-bloods. Anyone Pureblood who consorts with people like, well, like us, gets called a blood traitor. It's a particularly nasty bit of vernacular."

"So I was right to hit him." Jo said.

"Yeah, you were right to hit him."

"Good."


	17. Hogwarts Year 1 Chapter 7

I don't own Harry Potter, but with the arrival of October I'm getting more and more excited for Fantastic Beasts!

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Swelling Solution

Late April, 1990

First Year

Potions. Jo's most hated class. They were making swelling solutions today and Jo was having a miserable time of it. She had thought she'd be good at potions but no, if it didn't blow up in her face it turned green and all 'monster from the deep'-ey.

Leili on the other hand was actually good at potions, her transfiguration wasn't so fantastic but she could make a decent potion if given enough time and uninterrupted concentration. That's not to say she didn't blow her cauldrons up occasionally but hers went kablooie with less frequency than Jo's did.

Jo attacked the mortar fervently, crushing the nettles and pufferfish eyes, which made a disgusting squelching sound. In her peripheral vision she saw Leili shudder at the sound, it was the one thing she knew Leili hated about potions, not so much where the ingredients came from, but the noise they made when crushed.

45 minutes and 20 seconds later, she slipped in the bat spleen and stirred 4 times anti-clockwise, a long 30 seconds and a wand wave later Professor Snape made his rounds past the girls' cauldrons. He scrutinized both potions, and was initially pleased that Jo had managed to not blow up her cauldron this time.

It was hard to hate someone who tried so hard. He lingered over the cauldron for a moment; it was perfect; he looked from the cauldron to Jo, from Jo to Leilani and back to the cauldron before turning away.

"Good job," Jo brightened, he'd never praised her before. "Miss Akina." Jo slumped and Leili's forehead hit her palm with a slap.


	18. Hogwarts Year 1 Chapter 8

Happy October! One more chapter in Year 1, and 5 in year 2, then We're into Harry's first year and I'll be expecting reviews! :) I don't own Harry Potter, Enjoy!

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Transfiguration Talent

Early May, 1990

First Year

"Could I have your attention please? Today, we will be transforming objects into a bird. Like so. One, two, three. _Avifors_." With a wave of her wand and a flash of blue light the small orange statue on the stool in front of the black board became a small orange bird with a bluish beak.

The bird chirped and flew around the room before settling above the door. Professor McGonagall left them to their own work. The classroom was abuzz with spell activity. Flashes of blue light lit the room and by the end of class several students had managed to turn their statues into brightly colored birds.

Jo was discovering her knack for transfiguration and her bird had taken a liking to her, hopping around the desk and chirping. Leili however was discovering her lack of talent for transfiguration and had managed by the end of class to turn her statue into a bird, however her bird remained stone.

Leili stole a mildly jealous glance at Jo's bird and nudged Jo with her shoulder, "Lucky duck."


	19. Hogwarts Year 1 Chapter 9

A/N: I don't own Harry Potter. So, this marks the end of Jo and Leili's first year at Hogwarts! No chapter next week because: midterms. Bleh. Anyway, Enjoy and see you in two weeks!

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The First Goodbye

July 2nd, 1990

First Year

Exams were over, the feast was last night and everyone was packed. They were leaving today, going home for summer. Holding hands and dragging their belongings in trucks behind them Jo and Leilani joined the crowds of students heading outside.

They had all been reminded that they were not allowed to do magic outside of school and not to forget about their summer homework. It was funny, Jo thought, coming seemed so exciting, but leaving wasn't nearly as much fun. Normally she looked forward to the summer holidays. Seeing a row of black carriages Jo asked, "We don't go back in the boats?"

"Not 'till we graduate," Leili told her, "for the next 6 years, we take one of these to and from the train and when we graduate the boats take us back." Leili said as she lifted first her trunk, then Jo's into the luggage compartment in the back of the carriage. Jo climbed in and Leilani followed and as if by magic-which was highly probable as this was a _school for magic-_ the carriage began to roll forward.

"It looks sort've sad," Jo said. "The school, with all the lights out and the rooms all empty," she clarified.

Leili turned around for one last look and smiled before turning around again and saying, "Don't worry, we'll be back."


	20. Hogwarts Year 2 Chapter 1

A/N: So big midterm paper is over and done with, math midterm is done, which means... you get a chapter! Da-da-da-dah!

I don't own Harry Potter, Enjoy!

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Death to Alarm Clocks

Summer 1990

Second Year

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._

 _Silence._

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._

 _Silence._

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._

 _SMACK_

Jo's hand hit the alarm clock's snooze button, silence reigned again; then: _Beep. Beep. Beep._ Jo rolled over and whacked it again. _Beep. Beep. Beep._ Jo pushed herself out of bed and unplugged the clock from the wall. She stared at it for a minute, _daring_ it to go off, before falling back onto her bed.

Just as she was drifting off to sleep again: _Beep. Beep. Beep._ Jo leaned over and yanked the plug out of the clock, but off it went again, unfazed. _Beep. Beep. Beep._ She stood up, grabbed the clock and tossed it into the next room.

Jo shut the door and went back to bed. 5 minutes later she heard the clock beeping _again_ so she stood up, grabbed the closest thing to her, a screwdriver, and stalked into the kitchen. She turned the clock over and tried to pull the batteries out with her fingers.

When she couldn't get the batteries out by hand, she forced them out with the screwdriver; being angry and still groggy she may have stabbed the clock a few times more than was strictly necessary. But the deed was done and she went back to bed. She woke up the next morning and went into the kitchen to find her alarm clock horribly brutalized on the kitchen counter, its batteries and pieces all over the floor and her mother standing beside them with an eyebrow raised over her cup of coffee.

"Oops."


	21. Hogwarts Year 2 Chapter 2

A/N: Two reviews this month! Thanks guys! :) Another short chapter, don't fret, they'll get longer eventually. You're getting this chapter early since I'm going to be out of town for the weekend. Maybe you'll get another chapter in honor of Halloween, and maybe a review might tip the scales in favor of a new chapter. Anyway, I don't own Harry Potter, Enjoy!

* * *

Quidditch

Mid-September, 1990

Second Year

As Second Years, those interested were allowed to try out for their house Quidditch teams. Over the summer, Leili had explained to Jo the rules of the game, they had even played mock games in her backyard, with her dad supervising and a concealment charm cast around the backyard. Leili's dad had charmed 2 small balls, a soccer ball and a walnut to zoom around the back yard and had let the girls play Quidditch, as best as they could with only two, sometimes three, people playing.

Jo had turned out to be quite the beater and it was at Leili's dad's suggestion and Leili's persistent badgering that Jo had signed up for tryouts. Now it was the morning of and Leili looked at Jo's empty plate. "Jo, you need to eat something," she said.

"Can't, too nervous."

"If you don't, you'll fall into hypoglycemic shock, you'll get the shakes and you won't be able to hit the bludger and you won't make the team. You'll have to wait another year to try out. Now, you don't want that and I don't want that, so eat your breakfast." Jo picked up a piece of toast and nibbled at it. Leili smiled, it was instances like these that led people to believe that Leili could 'control' Jo. She couldn't really, if Jo wanted to do something she'd do it, and vice versa. Admittedly, sometimes a little persuading could get them moving a bit faster.

"You'll be there for luck?" Jo asked,

"I've got the pom poms ready and everything," Leili nodded. "Don't worry, you'll be fine," Leili tried to reassure her, giving Jo a friendly bump with her shoulder.

Jo felt the cold morning air pick up her ponytail as she took to the sky with her bat. She shot a quick glance to the benches where she saw Leilani standing at the railing, bouncing up and down and hooting encouragingly. Jo also saw that Leili had made good on the pompoms, they were even in Hufflepuff colors. Jo smiled, and turned her attention back to the game at hand. A Bludger came whizzing at her and with a mighty 'WHACK!' Jo sent it flying away. Again and again, Jo whacked the bludger away. She missed it only once, when her reflexes hadn't been quite fast enough to switch the bat to her other hand and hit the ball when it headed for her other side.

Those trying out had to sit and wait until everyone had gone and the team captain had chosen the new players and announced it to the assembled group. "Well? How'd you do?" Leili asked after the announcements were made and Jo was free to go.

"I made the reserves!" Jo said with a twinge of disappointment, she hadn't made the team, but she'd been good enough to warrant a placement as a back up. That was something, at least.

"What did they say?"

"They said I needed to work on my left reflexes but that if anything happened to one of the other beaters before the game, I'm in."

"Well, that's good! We'll practice again during summer, but at least they liked you well enough to keep you on in the reserves." Leili said.


	22. Hogwarts Year 2 Chapter 3

A/N: Happy Halloween! Enjoy your candy and your bonus chapter! (I realize this is the wrong chapter to be posting on halloween, but I don't have any halloweeney chapters for year 2 so you get a very early christmas chapter instead!) I don't own Harry Potter.

* * *

Fire Away

Early-December, 1990

Second Year

"You said you accidently charmed your snowball to hit your sister, right?" Jo asked, it was her first winter in the snow at Hogwarts, she'd been too sick last year. This was their last week before they headed home for the winter holidays.

"In the face, yeah," Leili replied as she rolled a snowball across the ground to make it big enough for a snowman torso while Jo patted the head ball for a good even roundness. As such, Leili was unprepared for a snowball to be launched at the back of her head.

"You mean like that?" Jo grinned wickedly, her wand still out.

"Oooh!" Leili seethed, "I'll get you for that, Jo!" There was a fire in her eyes now and Jo grinned, rolling up another snowball.

"Hit me with your best shot! _Put up your dukes, let's get down to it~!_ " Jo half sang. She and Leili both loved music and this song was just _so_ fitting, she couldn't help but give her a line, that is, before she launched another snowball at Leili's face.

"Ok, you wanna fight dirty? Fine, we'll fight dirty," Leili grinned. She scooped up a snowball and just as she prepared to throw it, she whispered a charm and another snowball thwacked into the back of Jo's head with a wet smack. Jo turned to see who was joining their little game when Leili's first snowball whacked her in the side of the face and she heard Leili laugh.

That laugh ended in "Ack!" as Jo launched another snowball at her. Both girls scooped up handfuls of snow, compressed them into balls and threw. Leili ducked and Jo dodged to the side, Leilani was hit, Jo was spared.

"Curse you and your aim!" Leili laughed as Jo held her arms out in the universal sign for 'come and get me' and grinned, just a touch mockingly.

So, Leili scooped up handfuls of soft snow and formed a ball, watching as Jo sighed and looked at an imaginary watch and the minute she took her eyes off of her, Leili dropped the snowball and ran at Jo, tackling her with an enthusiastic "Rah!"

Jo shrieked in surprise as she fell back into the snow. She soon got her revenge though, as she and Leili wrestled. As they rolled around in the snow, she grabbed a handful of snow and stuffed it down the back of Leili's shirt. Now it was Leilani's turn to shriek, "Cold!" Jo promptly laughed her butt off.

When a 3rd year Slytherin came over to make a disparaging comment about their frolicking in the fresh snow both girls took out their wands and charmed the bottom of their abandoned snowman to hurtle itself at his face, knocking him over. The snow that didn't hit him re-formed into separate, smaller snowballs and began to pelt him as he sat there with snow in his mouth. The girls laughed as he left and went back to attacking each other.

Jo scrambled to her feet and sought shelter behind a tree, "Cheater!" Leili cried, her glee shining clear through her voice. Jo peeked out from behind her tree and ducked back just quick enough to avoid a face full of snow. In retaliation she grabbed a quick snowball and ran out from behind her tree. She aimed for Leili and got her shoulder.

Leili threw another snowball but with Jo safely behind the tree it was ineffective. So Jo came out grinning and held her arms out in her best 'look at me I'm a target!' impression,and was immediately pelted with snowballs that would follow her when she tried to escape them. They made quite a sight, Jo running and Leili chasing, each bewitching snowballs to follow and hit the other. Finally, Jo stopped running and Leili followed suit, both panting and cold but thoroughly thrilled.

"Truce?" Leili asked.

"Truce." Jo affirmed and they cancelled the enchantments on their snowballs, which then fell to the ground with soft thumps. And then, a snowball each flew into the sides of their faces. They turned to see another 'Puff grinning impishly at them. The impish grin transformed into an 'uh-oh' face very quickly when he saw the evil grins Jo and Leilani shared. He took off running when he heard their battle cry.

"Fire away!"


	23. Hogwarts Year 2 Chapter 4

A/N: This one's a bit fluffy, but I wrote it because of a bad day my co-writer, RandomMuggle had, so of course it's fluffy! Anyway. I don't own Harry Potter. Enjoy! (and review?)

* * *

Gryffindork

Sometime in March, 1991

Second Year

Jo lay in her narrow bed at school, tossing and turning this way and that. She was dreaming. Or Nightmaring, if that's a word. She was a first year again, surprisingly tiny and so, so nervous. "Montgomery, Jocelyn" Professor McGonagall called and Jo burrowed her way to the front of the crowd. She walked up the steps to the stool, turned and sat.

The Professor lowered the sorting hat onto her head and it began to whisper mumblings and grumblings in her ear. "Let's see here, plenty of loyalty yes, ooh and a good mind here, yes, a solid thirst for knowledge. I could put you in Hufflepuff, sure. But it takes plenty of courage to be so far from home, in a completely new environment. Oh that's a stubborn streak I see, Yes also a good fit for Gryffindor. But also a good place for Hufflepuff, hmmm. You had quite a bit of nerve to stand up to those bullies, yes, quite a bit. And speaking of nerves, I see that hit one! A rather short leash on your temper. All good things. Yes, GRYFFINDOR!"

Jo's heart cracked and she shot a glance towards Leili who was trying to look like she couldn't be prouder but couldn't quite hide the twinge of disappointment. Her sister had been sorted into Ravenclaw and now she was all alone in Hufflepuff, a house full of strangers.

Before the hat was pulled off her head Jo snarled, "You're wrong!" But the hat just laughed as it was lifted away and then she was being ushered to the Gryffindor table where she sat and tried not to feel as though she might cry. She glared at anyone who dared smile at her.

"Jo," Leili's voice suddenly said in her ear, her hand shaking her shoulder. "JO!" she half-shouted half-whispered, shaking some more. "Jo, wake up!" Jo blinked. Her eyes shot open, the candle beside the bed cast a flickering yellow light over everything.

"Where am I?" she asked hurriedly.

"School. Bed. You were dreaming. I think…" Jo's eyes shot to the walls, yellow with brown accents. Hufflepuff Colors.

"Oh thank god. I'm a Hufflepuff."

"What would you have done if you weren't?"

"Snuck out of Gryffindor tower, snuck in here and made Professor Sprout adopt me."

Leili grinned, "Good Plan. So, Gryffindor, huh?" Leili climbed onto the bed beside Jo. "Scootch over."

Jo snorted, obliging. "Try Gryffindor _k_."

"Tell me about the dream," Leili said, running her fingers through Jo's hair after Jo plopped her head in her lap.

"Too awful," Jo yawned. Leili continued stroking Jo's hair.

"Tell me anyway." So Jo did, and her sentences were punctuated by yawns. When dawn rose hours later, Jo's head was still in Leili's lap and Leili's fingers were still in Jo's hair, but they were both sound asleep.


	24. Hogwarts Year 2 Chapter 5

A/N: Because _I_ need a distraction. I don't own Harry Potter.

* * *

Pre-Game jitters.

June 1991

Second Year

It was the last game of the season and a beater had been forced to drop out due to a bludger to the kidney in the last practice so Jo got ready for the game.

"You'll be fine, don't over think it," Leili said comfortingly.

"Yeah, that's so not gonna happen!" Jo snorted, shaking her head like a wet dog.

"Go Ommmm…" Leili laughed, Jo pulled herself into meditation stance.

"Ommmmmmmm-this isn't working...!"

"Legs crossed? Thumb to fingertip? Hmm it _ought_ to work." Leili joked, trying to lighten her friend's mood.

"Darn. I'm just not one for meditating, I guess." It worked a little but Jo was still a nervous wreck.

"You'll be great, I promise. You've practiced for it, so it's not like you don't know what you're doing."

"I'm afraid I'm gonna screw up!" Leili rapped her knuckles on the wooden bench she sat on.

"Knock on wood. You're not gonna screw up. You'll be fine. I promise. I gotta go, play pretty!" Leili gave Jo a quick hug before she ran off to find her seat near Lee Jordan, the easily distracted commentator.

The game progressed smoothly, with Jo just narrowly hitting a bludger aimed for her left side. It was a close call at the end, but Hufflepuff won, with only ten points to spare, thanks to the retrieval of the snitch.


	25. Hogwarts Year 3 Chapter 1

A/N: I am pleased to announce from the joint effort of Random Muggle and myself, Harry's first year. This is where the story should start really picking up.

* * *

Scoping Out the Firsties

September 1st, 1991

Third Year

The Hogwarts express was as much of a statement as ever, stationed in King's Cross as always. The girls arrived with plenty of time to spare, and didn't hurry on their way to their compartment. They liked the one in the front; it was easy to scope out the firsties when every one of them had to pass your compartment.

"Lord, they get smaller every year," Leili commented as a group of firsties walked by.

"Is it possible that we were that little once?" Jo asked.

"Me, maybe. But not you," Leili grinned, Jo grinned back.

"Oh look at that one, She looks promising," Jo said, gesturing to a girl with massively curly hair and her nose in a particularly thick book.

"That one looks like a weasel," Leili commented about a boy with white blonde hair and a pompous look on his face.

"Hmm. Or a ferret, with that hair," Jo said and Leili couldn't control the laugh that bubbled out of her.

"Oh, that wasn't nice! Brilliant, but not nice," Leili grinned.

"Just cause I'm a 'Puff, doesn't mean I'm nice." Jo retorted with a smile.

"Well, well, look at that. Black hair, green eyes, scar on his forehead. Good grief, he's skinny!"

"Hmm, if he's a 'Puff we'll have to put him on a meal plan."

"Definitely."

"Trevor?" a chubby little boy called, "Where did you hop off to?"

"Eugh, I hope a cat didn't get it..." Jo said, earning a dirty look from Leili who leaned out the door of their compartment.

"Lose something?"

"My toad; you haven't seen him, have you?" Leili shook her head,

"Nope, sorry. Tell you what, how about you tell me your name and if we do see him, we'll come and find you."

"N-Neville."

"Nice to meet you, Neville. Go on then, we'll keep an eye out for Trevor." Jo snorted as Neville walked away.

"Goody-goody," Jo muttered under her breath with a smile.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Leili teased.

Having nothing to say to that, Jo simply stuck out her tongue and continued to watch the passersby. They sat in silence until the train began to move, when Leili leaned over and shut the compartment door before pulling two things out of her bag. One was a plastic bag with gummy worms in it and the other, a deck of cards.

"Gin, or slap jack?" Leilani asked with a grin.

"The last time we played slap jack, your hand hurt for a week, so, gin," Jo decided and Leili tossed her the cards.

"Here, you shuffle, I'll deal." After the cards were shuffled and dealt the girls picked them up and began to put them in order when suddenly Jo heard something. She quietly put down her cards and pressed her ear to the window of their compartment door. There it was again.

"Jo? Wha-" Leili stopped midsentence as Jo held up a hand to quiet her. Quietly and ever so slowly, Jo slid the door open and sure enough, sitting right in the middle of the corridor was a large toad.

She tiptoed closer before scooping it up in her hands with a triumphant, "Ha! Gotcha, little beastie!"

"What is it?" Leilani asked.

"If I had to guess? I'd say Neville's toad, Trevor." Jo said turning around to show Leili.

As Jo and Leili walked down the train looking for Neville they ran into the bushy haired girl they'd noticed earlier, only this time she was sans book.

"Have either of you seen a toad? A boy named Neville's lost his."

"We were just looking for him actually," Leilani said.

"This wouldn't happen to be said toad, would it?" Jo asked, thrusting the toad forward as though she expected the girl to kiss it. The girl squeaked and stepped back, before clapping a hand over her mouth, as if she could stop the sound from escaping further.

"I-I'll take him back…" she said, reaching for the toad, a look of utter disgust on her face. Jo looked at her and grinned.

"Nah, he's a slippery beastie, I'll hold him. You lead the way." They saw the firstie sigh in relief, she _really_ hadn't wanted to hold the toad. "What's your name, by the way?" Jo asked, so they wouldn't have to call her 'that bushy haired firstie' later.

"Hermione Granger."

"Ooh, Greek! Princess of Sparta, daughter of renowned beauty Queen Helen and King Menelaus, niece of King Agamemnon; well, lead the way Hermione," Leili chirped. Hermione turned on her heel and took the two older students back down the way she'd come. She stopped and opened a compartment towards the back of the train, usually a good sign somebody had gotten there late.

"Neville?"

"Hermione! Did you find him?"

"She didn't, but we did!" Jo said happily, holding up the toad, who-upon sight of Neville-tried to wiggle out of Jo's grasp. "Oh no, you don't, you wee beastie!" She tightened her grip on the slippery creature before reaching over the top of Hermione, who shrieked when she found her-self eye level with Trevor's wart covered back. Hermione ducked and slid out of the way, allowing Jo to step forward and deposit Trevor into Neville's waiting hands. "Look after him, he's a slippery one."

"Thank you!" Neville called as the girls headed back to their compartment to change into their school things and finish their game.

Once out of earshot Leili asked, "Who's the goody-goody now?"


	26. Hogwarts Year 3 Chapter 2

Happy opening weekend everybody! Now that we're in Harry's year I feel it fair to tell you, I won't be rewriting the books. I'll post chapters that either change something or include a conversation I want you to hear, but I won't rewrite the books. You'll have to remember what happens between my chapters because I may skip over entire events where nothing needs to be altered. For help there I recommend visiting the HP Lexicon, see note at bottom of chapter. On with the show! I don't own HP.

* * *

The Third Sorting

September 1st, 1991

Third Year

"Abbot, Hannah," Hufflepuff.

"Bones, Susan," Hufflepuff.

"Boot, Terry," Ravenclaw.

"Brown, Lavender," Gryffindor.

"Crabbe, Vincent," Slytherin.

On and on the list went, until,

"Granger, Hermione ," The bushy haired little girl from the train walked up to the stool and sat down, the hat muttered to her and to itself before declaring her a Gryffindor.

The sorting continued to be quite ordinary, Neville went into Gryffindor, the ferret-like boy, Draco Malfoy, joined Slytherin, and then a name every child raised in the magical world knew was called: "Potter, Harry." Whispers filled the room and Gryffindor erupted into glee when he was sorted into their house.

Later that night Jo and Leili sat in their common room and Jo asked, "Alright, who's Harry Potter and why does everyone care?"

"There's some stuff I haven't told you about the Wizarding world. There was this guy, a really, really bad guy and he killed a lot of people, and he frightened a lot more. We were really little, only like 2-maybe 3?-when he vanished. And just the fact that he vanished without a trace scares people almost more than he did. He was a wizard and he went after this little family-I don't know why, there's only so much my dad will tell me-anyway, he went after them and he killed them. And the thing that makes them stand out from all the other people he killed was their son; he _survived_. He survived a curse no one else ever has. And now he's a firstie here. Most everyone who was raised around magic knows Harry Potter's name. He kinda dropped off the face of the planet after it happened; no one knew exactly what had happened-they still don't, actually. Anyway, that's why everyone stares and why they whisper."

"Kid's gonna be the elephant in the room for the rest of his life." Jo sympathized before asking, "Who was the wizard?" Leili fidgeted, she'd been raised to fear the name and here she was, about to say it.

"Most people won't say his name, just 'You-Know-Who' or 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named'." She pulled her notebook towards her and wrote the name down, handing it to Jo. "Voldemort. His name is Voldemort," she said.

"Well, that's a stupid name. I doubt his mother named him that."

Leili grinned; the tension relieved, "No, probably not."

* * *

legacy. hp-lexicon timelines /calendars/ calendar_ps .html copy, paste, remove spaces.


	27. Hogwarts Year 3 Chapter 3

A/N: Happy Thanksgiving everybody! Since I'm not sure when I'll have time to do this over the next few days I'm giving you your chapter early. I'm not sure whose idea this first was, mine or RandomMuggle's but I've been meaning to write it a while. I don't own HP.

* * *

Favor

October 30th, 1991

Third year

" _Peeves!_ " Leili hissed as the Poltergeist swooped overhead. The girls had been following the Gryffindor trio (and Neville) and had ducked into an empty classroom to avoid being seen.

"Students out of bed," he singsonged, "students out of bed!"

" _Peeves!"_ Leili whispered louder.

"Filch is coming! Students out bed! I'll tell Filch I will!" the bell on his hat jingled, seconding his delight.

"If you distract Filch from us and Harry and his friends, we will give you a favor!" Jo said, thinking quickly. Peeves stopped his cackling and zoomed in to within and inch of their faces. "If you distract Filch long enough for the seven of us to get away, Leili and I will let you ask three things of us."

"Threesies for sevensies? Students out of be-ed!" Peeves called toward the door.

"Each!" Leili amended. You can ask three things _each_ of us. You won't tell Filch or Harry and his friends. Deal?"

"Deal!" Peeves cackled joyfully. He sailed through the closed door, startling the already terrified trio.

"Peeves! Shut up Peeves, please! You'll get us thrown out!" Hermione begged.

"Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty!" He sing-songed.

"Not if you don't give us away, Peeves, please!"

"Should tell Filch, I should," Peeves said in a saintly voice, his eyes sparkling wickedly. "It's for your own good, you know."

"Get out of the way," snapped Ron, taking a swipe at Peeves. Big mistake.

"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Peeves bellowed, "STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!" Still hiding in the unused classroom Jo was banging her head against the wall. Leili slipped her hand between Jo's forehead and the wall, to stave off any possible brain damage.

"Well. That went well." Leili sighed.

"Six favors. _Six._ And he's _still_ calling Filch. I'm going to blast him into _oblivion_!"

"Oh no, you're not. You go out there now, you could be seen and being seen is a _really_ bad idea."

"Which way did they go, Peeves?" they heard Filch say. "Quick, tell me."

"Say 'please."'

"Don't mess with me, Peeves, now where did they go?"

"Shan't say nothing if you don't say please," said Peeves in that annoying singsong tone.

"All right-please," Filch grouched.

"NOTHING! Ha ha! Told you I wouldn't say nothing if you didn't say please! Ha ha! Hahaaaaa!" they heard the sound of Peeves' belled hat jingling away and Filch cursing in rage. After Filch stomped away, the girls opened the door carefully. The corridor was empty, Harry and his friends were gone, Filch had left and Peeves was nowhere to be seen. As they began to creep quickly away, growling began to fill the corridor.

"Uh-oh." They ran toward the door, Jo yanking it open just as Harry's hand turned the doorknob on the other side. The door swung open, hiding them briefly. Harry grabbed the edge of the door and slammed it shut. The girls pressed themselves into the shadows against the wall as far as they could. They were lucky. The kids were too focused on the dog on the other side to notice them. They ran down the halls, not stopping until they were in front of the Gryffindor Portrait. Once the kids were out of sight, the girls hightailed it back to their own dorm.

"That must've been some dog, to scare them so badly," Leili said.

"You didn't see it?" Leili shook her head, 'no'. "I caught a glimpse through the crack in the door when it opened. It was big. Like 'Clifford the big red dog' big."

* * *

A/N: I'm going to ask a favor myself, If anyone has any ideas for the favors the girls now owe Peeves, either drop me a note or tell me in a review.


	28. Hogwarts Year 3 Chapter 4

A/N: Warning: **Minor** Fantastic Beasts spoilers are present herein. Minor. I wrote this almost immediately after seeing FB after a 5 hour conversation between my co-writer and myself. I was going to wait until she had a chance to approve it, but she's busy. Anywho, enjoy. As always, credit goes in part to RandomMuggle who was a huge influence in writing this chapter. I don't own HP.

* * *

Obscurial

Halloween 1991

Third year

The girls sat in their History of Magic class listening to Professor Binns drone on about Witch Hunts in the 14th century. Leili raised her hand and went unnoticed for what felt like eternity.

"Professor Binns," she interrupted, "I know we're discussing witch hunts during the 14th century, but I have a somewhat tangentially related question. During the Witch Hunts, children would suppress their magic to avoid suspicion, thus becoming, um, um-um-um, um," Leili rubbed her hand over her eyes, listening to Professor Binns was always exhausting and mind-numbing. "Oh, _shoot_! I can never… Jo, what's the name I'm looking for? Not Occamy or Oculus, but…?"

"Obscurial," Jo drawled. For some reason Leili _could not_ remember this one word.

"Yes, Obscurial! Thank you!"

"No problem," Jo grinned. They'd discussed it during their research for their summer homework, a scroll of parchment on how "Witch Burning in the Fourteenth Century Was Completely Pointless" and Leili was right, it was completely tangential from the current topic; but Jo was interested to hear Binns' answer.

"These kids would become Obscurials and their magic would spin wildly out of control and usually kill them. My question is this: What would happen if you gave an Obscurial a wand? What if you _taught_ them how to use and control their magic? Would it reverse the process?"

"Your question, young lady, would be better suited to a 'Theory of Magic' class, as I deal in facts, not legends, myths or _theories_. That being said, there hasn't been a documented case of an Obscurial since New York in 1926, so no one has ever tried what you are suggesting."

"We could try to catch ourselves one, but it would be _quite_ the endeavor," Jo said cheerfully.

"What part of 'not a documented case since 1926', didn't make it through your thick skull, Montgomery?" Someone in class sneered.

"What part of ' _documented case'_ or ' _quite the endeavor'_ didn't make it through yours?" Jo shot back. "Just because nobody's written it down doesn't mean it hasn't happened. I mean, Obscuials were thought to be extinct-for lack of better word-in 1926, weren't they?"

"Not a documented case in over a century, is how I remember it," Leili chimed in.

" _Enough!_ It's never been tried, and Obscurials are so rare as to be non-existent so it's highly unlikely it will ever _be_ tried. Now, back to Witch hunts," Professor Binns cried, truly fed-up with the turn of conversation. The few people who had perked up for Leili's question fell right back to sleep and Jo and Leili went back to scrawling notes to each other in their notebooks.

"Told ya he wouldn't answer," Jo scrawled.

"It was worth a shot," Leili scribbled back with a shrug.


	29. Hogwarts Year 3 Chapter 5

A/N: Writing credit again shared with Random Muggle. We don't own HP, Enjoy!

* * *

Honorary Hufflepuffs

Halloween 1991.

Third Year

"TROLL IN THE DUNGEON! TROOOLLL IN THE DUNGEOON! Thought you ought to know…" Quirell yelled, running down through the great hall. Students screamed and stood, throwing down their food. Jo and Leili looked at each other.

"Troll? Since when do _we_ have a _troll_?" Jo asked.

"We don't," Leili said, eyes narrowing.

"SILENCE!" Dumbledore stood "Everyone will please not panic! Now, prefects please escort your house to the dormitories. Teachers will follow me to the dungeons." The girls stood with the rest of their house to follow the prefects back to the common room, once out of the great hall, Jo took Leilani's hand and with a quick tug she separated them from the crowd, to follow Harry and Ron. They watched the boys head towards the girl's bathroom and spotted a very large shadow on the wall.

"Troll. Not good." Jo whispered dragging Leili along behind her a little faster. They stopped just outside the bathroom, watching as Hermione skittered across the floor to hide under the sinks. After much screaming and crashing Harry was on top of the troll and Leili whipped out her wand, ready to catch him, should he fall.

"Do something!" Harry yelled after he'd lost his wand up the troll's nose, and the troll had grabbed the boy nuisance by the foot.

"What?!" Ron asked, watching Harry dodge the club.

"Anything! Hurry up!" Leili and Jo watched silently; ready to jump in at a moments notice. Ron brandished his wand, Jo turned to glance down the hallway while Leili stayed glued to the problem at hand.

"Swish and Flick!" Hermione yelled.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Leili whispered at the same time as Ron. Ron grinned as he saw the charm work, the club remaining in the air while the troll's arm swung down. It gave him a much-needed confidence boost.

"Leili! Dumbledore's coming!" Jo whispered, "We need to go."

"Just a second, I want to make sure they don't do anything else."

"Knock out the troll and they won't have to."

"Why didn't _I_ think of that?" Leili dropped the club onto the troll's head and stayed just long enough to see it fall. Then Jo took her hand again and they snuck off before high tailing it back to their dormitory.

Back in their room, they threw themselves onto Leili's bed. "Those kids are going to be the death of themselves!" Leili exclaimed.

"They get into more trouble than _our_ firsties!" Jo said.

They were silent for a moment.

"I guess they'll need some looking after, then," Leili said, resigned.

"Consider them honorary 'Puffs," Jo agreed.


	30. Hogwarts Year 3 Chapter 6

This chapter was written by me but concocted by Random Muggle. Happy Hollydays, Enjoy. We don't own Harry Potter.

* * *

Lucky

Halloween 1991

Third Year

"Why do they teach children to unlock locked doors, anyway? Do they also teach them to hot wire a broom?" Jo said from where she'd flopped.

"You don't really _need_ to hot wire a broom, you just kinda… _go_ ," Leili responded.

"Oh, you know what I mean!" Jo huffed and Leili laughed.

"In all fairness, have you ever seen your mother lock her keys in the house or the car? A spell to unlock locked doors would come in very handy."

"Hmph. Mebbeh," Jo said, "I still think it's just asking for trouble."

"Obviously. If we didn't learn how to unlock locked doors, they never would have gotten into trouble with that dog last night."

"We got majorly lucky this time; can't always depend on that," Jo sighed.

Leili stared off into space above her bed and then slowly, a thought occurred to her. "Maybe… we _can_ …" Leili rolled off the bed and scrambled over to the bookshelf and started muttering to herself as she looked for and then grabbed the book she needed. She flipped to a page and dropped the book on her bed between herself and Jo and pointed to a passage titled, "Liquid luck". Jo rolled over to look at the page in question,

"Does… Does that do what I think it does?" Jo asked hopefully.

"Yup."

" _Awesome_!"

"It's monstrously difficult though, and takes 6 months to properly stew… and that's only if it's done right, who knows what happens if you get it wrong," Leili explained, not to mention it was magic way beyond her 3rd year potions class.

"Well, with those three, we're going to need all the help we can get," Jo told her.

"Fair enough. I'll start working on it in the morning. Honorary 'Puffs huh?"

"Yep."

"Well, this should be just _loads_ of fun," Leili rolled her eyes and snapped the tome shut.


	31. Hogwarts Year 3 Chapter 7

Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Holidays, everyone! In honor of the Holidays, here is a chapter! :) Random Muggle and I still don't own Harry Potter. As a Christmas present, would everyone who reads this chapter leave a review? It would be really nice. Enjoy.

* * *

Tea Leaves

Early November 1991

Third Year

Leilani sat beside Jo in divination, staring into her teacup. She turned it-and her head-this way and that way but all _she_ could see was a backwards 'L'. She shrugged and handed the cup to Jo who gave Leili a cup in return. The girls looked in each other's cups and consulted their textbooks. Leili squinted at Jo's cup and examined the list of meanings in the book. Before she had decided what it could be, Jo gave a guess as to Leilani's own, "I think yours could be an ax, Leili."

Leili looked up and frowned, " _How_?" she asked before returning to Jo's cup.

"Well, if you turn it this way," she turned the cup so the L looked like half a T, "it looks like it's either half of a forked line, which the book doesn't have or it looks like an ax." Jo explained, she liked divination better than Leili did, partly because Leili wasn't big on knowing the future, it freaked her out. "An ax means… difficulties."

"That's descriptive," Leili snorted. "Yours looks kinda… octopus-ey at this angle, missing most of its legs, making it more of a… duo…pus, and then from _this_ angle," she turned the cup so the tentacles of the tea leaf octo/duopus pointed up, "it looks a little like an open bag… So, the octopus is danger and the open bag is escape from a trap," she said, consulting her Divination textbook.

Jo blinked at her friend, "Our teacups are depressing!"


	32. Hogwarts Year 3 Chapter 8

A/N: This one was pretty much all Random Muggle's idea, as I recall. Just a bit of fluff, more serious stuff to come. We don't own HP. Happy New Year. Enjoy.

* * *

Fetch

Mid January 1992

Third Year

 _Thump._

 _Scuttle, scuttle, scuttle._

 _Thump._

 _Scuttle, scuttle, scuttle._

"Alright! I give! _What_ are you doing?" Leili cried, pulling her head out of her book after several minutes of trying to ignore the very distracting sounds.

"Teaching Spike to fetch."

" _Why_?"

"Because once he learns fetch, 'Kill' is just one more command away." Leili blinked and silence descended so the only noise was the soft thump of the ham cubes Jo was throwing and Spike's scuttling as he chased after it.

Then Leili asked, "…Why ham cubes?"

"Why _not_ ham cubes?"

"…Touché."


	33. Hogwarts Year 3 Chapter 9

A/N: Fluffy, but longer fluffy. There's a surprise tucked in the end for IWasn'tTalkingToYou. :) We don't own HP. Enjoy! (and I don't mean to beg, but some reviews would be really nice!)

* * *

Hogsmeade

Early February 1992

Third Year

"All those with permission follow me, those without, stay here," Filch said. The students grouped together behind him and followed him into Hogsmeade Village. In the village the snow was just starting to melt, revealing the colorfully painted exterior, the terracotta color of the roof tiles. "Wow!" Jo said, her eyes wide and staring. Leili grinned, taking in the sights, her hand clasped with Jo's.

"Where should we start? Joke shop? Sweet shop? Tea shop? Book Shop?" Leili asked.

"Sweets, then books, then Tea?" Jo proposed. Leili looked around, trying to locate each shop.

"Sweets are this way!" she said, tugging Jo along behind her. The shop was filled to the brim with sweet things to eat, the walls and shelves were wood the color of chocolate, the lanterns casting a golden glow over everything. There were bertie botts beans, chocolate frogs, pepper imps, wriggling gummy worms, fizzing peppermint candies. The shop was crowded with kids and the girls ducked and wove through the throng, picking up boxes of candy as they did. After they found a space to compare their selections, they grabbed a few things they wanted to try and then paid for their goodies. Candy was expensive! The shop owner's wife piled their treats into a bag and handed it to Jo. Then they were off again, ducking and dodging through the crowd and into the snow-covered street. "Now, where is the bookstore?" Leili wondered aloud.

Jo spotted it, "There!" and now it was her turn to lead. Where Leili was able to slip through small spaces, Jo just barreled her way through them. She kept a tight hold to Leilani's hand and dragged her down the street, weaving into spaces she created. Leili laughed as she followed and soon they were opening the door to Tomes and Scrolls. As soon as they were inside, the smell of loved books bombarded them.

"Hello, Ladies!" a cheerful voice called from above. "What are you looking for today? Hmm?"

"I'm not really sure, maybe something fantasy?" Leili said.

"I'll start there, too," Jo nodded.

"Ah, Fantasy, that's near the back. Hop on!" A ladder on the wall began to move and the girls grabbed on. The ladder took them straight back and stopped in front of a sign. "You seem like good, smart, book caring young ladies, so I'll trust you. Prices are marked inside the cover; just leave the coins on the desk on your way out. Enjoy!"

"Thanks!" they chorused. Eventually after much wandering the girls each chose two books and once again boarded the ladder. They did as asked and left the proper amount of coins on the desk and reluctantly left the warmth of the store. The Tea shop was back the way they'd come a bit and packed with dewy eyed schoolgirls and their boyfriends. The girls walked in and took up a booth near a window. They ordered some tea and dumped the contents of their Honeydukes bag onto the table. They each chose a frog and carefully opened the boxes. The frogs hopped out and the girls, who'd had some practice at this on the train to school, cupped their hands and brought them down on top of the frogs, effectively trapping them.

"You know," Jo said, gesturing with her frog, "I will bet you _anything_ that Hermione and that redheaded gryff, Ron, will fall head over heels for each other."

"Oh, please, they barely tolerate each other!" Leili laughed. "He's the reason we had to save them from the troll, you know. He made fun of her, poor kid."

"I heard, but you know what? In books, this is how it happens, they hate each other and then, by the end, _snogging_."

"Alright, I'll bet you 5 knuts, due to be paid when?"

"Let's call it their 7th year."

"Ok, 5 knuts that they get together by the end of their 7th year, deal."

The tea arrived and Leili dunked her frog's head into the steaming cup.

"Mmm, Chocolate Frog brains!" Jo said, Leili choked as she laughed around a mouthful of chocolate.


	34. Hogwarts Year 3 Chapter 10

Just four more chapters in this year. You'll want to remember this one, it becomes important later on. :) This was, as I recall, all Random Muggle's idea, I just wrote it. If you ever have an idea you'd like to see, leave it in a review and if it fits, I'll find a place for it. Hope you all had a good Friday the 13th. We don't own Harry Potter, Enjoy!

* * *

Meeting Marcus

Mid to Late February 1992

Third Year

It was the third match of the 91-92 school year and Hufflepuff was playing Slytherin. Jo had signed up to be a substitute player for Hufflepuff again and had only played in practice this year, having played once last year. But when Hufflepuff's beater took a Bludger to the head during practice and was unable to play Jo was called in to take his place during the game. Madame Hooch refereed and as always demanded good, clean game.

Jo was hardly able to contain her glee and it showed through the grin so wide that her lips felt like they would split. She loved Quidditch; the wind through her ponytail, the feel of the bat in her hand as she whacked an offending bludger away. It was exhilarating. The game progressed smoothly until a 4th year chaser with muscles galore spotted her and with a lascivious wiggle of his eyebrows, made a kissy face at her.

Jo grinned maliciously, raised a mocking eyebrow in return and whacked a bludger, hitting the chaser in the face and breaking his nose.

Marcus Flint's nose was never the same again.


	35. Hogwarts Year 3 Chapter 11

3 more chapters left in this year after this! Hope this brings a bit of sunshine into an otherwise gloomy weekend (it's been raining here). We don't own Harry Potter, Enjoy!

* * *

Lost

April 12th, 1992

Third Year

"Here Spike, where are you Spike? Where areeee youuu?" Leili called as she looked under couches and chairs, lifting pillows and hoping not to get her nose bitten.

"Any luck?" Jo asked. Her Monster book of Monsters, Spike, had gone missing, _again_.

"None."

"Where did he _go_?"

"Maybe he snuck out in someone's bag?" Leilani suggested; it wouldn't be the first time.

"Or someone left the window open and he flew out," Jo said. Leili had been practicing charms one day and wound up gifting Spike with a Flying charm. He opened himself up to the middle and flattened his cover to use as a glider, freeing up his pages to use as wings.

"I'm finding a tracking spell to put on him when we get him back so we don't do this again and if I can't find one, I'll just have to _invent_ one!" Leili growled as she peeked under a table; she really hated losing Spike, it was very annoying.

"Well, since he's obviously not in here, we're just going to have to find him using magic," Jo said before she cast a homing spell. Homing spells were great, in theory; The spell manifested as orange or green balls of light that tracked a target, thus allowing you to find said target. There was just one small problem, if there was something in the way of the intended path, like a door or a tree or a wall, the orb would hit the blockade and blink out of existence. This escalated into a larger problem when the object lost happened to be lost in a _castle_. Jo opened the door and cast the spell and the orange light took off down the hall and then promptly ran into the wall as it failed to round the corner.

It took the girls the better part of an hour, casting and recasting the homing spell, to discover that Spike had made friends with the Whomping Willow. Or so it appeared at first glance, in truth the goofy book was teasing the tree by flitting in and out of the attacking branches with what could only be described as sadistic glee. How a book-as sentient as this book was, it was still a book-could be sadistically gleeful neither girl quite knew, but _that's_ what was happening. Jo whistled for her book and with one more teasing flight through the angry tree branches, Spike glided over to Jo and with a snap of his cover dropped like the couple hundred-paged book he was, into her waiting arms, where he was promptly scolded.

"Bad Spike!"


	36. Hogwarts Year 3 Chapter 12

Because I'm bored you get a new chapter. The usual disclaimer applies, we don't own HP.

* * *

Just in Case

May 12th (midnight), May 13th, May 26th 1992

Third Year

Jo and Leilani were attending their astronomy class when Jo saw it out of the corner of her eye. An entire chunk of the tower floor was see-through. Students spent so much of their time looking up in this tower that they didn't even notice that they could see right through a section of the floor. It was _the_ most discombobulating thing Jo had ever seen and this was her third year at a school where the ceiling reflected the sky and weather outside, staircases moved, had sinkhole steps or became slides when boys tried to climb them.

"Leili," she whispered, "look down to my right and don't make a sound," she instructed. Leili looked casually to where Jo had indicated and had to clench her teeth together to keep from saying something. She walked around Jo to nudge the area with her foot, the toe of her shoe slipping under the edge of what ever was causing it and vanishing as well. "I love magic," Jo said quietly. Leili picked up the thing and discovered it was fabric, a silky fabric that felt like water in her hands.

"Feel it," Leili whispered and Jo stroked it gently with her fingertips.

"Wow," she whispered, marveling at its texture. "Quick, fold it up and stick it in my bag, we can figure out what to do with it later." Leilani did as she was asked and the next day before Herbology, Jo pulled it out of her trunk and the girls sat on her bed to examine and decide what to do with it.

"Well, we can't keep it, much as I'd love to; this thing is seriously cool," Leili said, she was trying to avoid touching it by sitting on her hands. If she touched it, she'd want to keep it and it wasn't hers to keep.

"It's invisible fabric, right? I didn't know there was such a thing,"

"It's not just fabric, it's a cloak. I've heard stories, but I never thought I'd actually _see_ one."

"Considering they're typically, y'know, _invisible_?" Jo said cheekily.

"We could try finding out who it belongs to and return it…" Leili suggested.

"People would be clamoring to claim it. We could turn it over to Professor Sprout," Jo told her.

"It wouldn't be safe enough with her. I hate to say it, but if someone found out she had it they could break in and steal it and it'd never get back to its rightful owner. Our house defenses include tapping a rhythm on the barrel and getting doused in vinegar if you do it wrong. We need someone with more pull, someone no one would _dream_ of stealing from, let alone be _able_ to steal from,"

"We need Dumbledore," Jo finished for her.

"Yeah," Leili agreed. The bell for the next class rang and Jo put the cloak back in the bottom of her trunk, it'd be safe with them until they could get it to Dumbledore.

It took three weeks before the girls were able to see Dumbledore. "Ah, Miss Montgomery, Miss Akina, what can I do for you?"

"You can keep something safe," Jo said.

"We found this, a few weeks ago now, at the top of the astronomy tower. We don't know who it belongs to and we figured the best person to leave it with, the only person who could stand a chance at finding out who it belongs to, would be you," Leili explained. Dumbledore looked at them over the top of his glasses before Jo reached into her bag and pulled out the Invisibility cloak. The light from the window hit it, making it shine a silvery lavender where it had looked silvery blue in their common room.

"Ah, you brought me an Invisibility cloak. As it happens, I do know to whom this belongs, I will see it rightfully home today. Thank you, girls," Dumbledore said, taking the cloak from them and folding it neatly in his desk drawer. As the girls left Dumbledore took out a slip of paper and a pen and scribbled a note in his narrow, loopy handwriting, "Just in case."


	37. Hogwarts Year 3 Chapter 13

Only one more chapter in this year after this one and the next one is Important. Anyway, we don't own Harry Potter.

* * *

A Complete Secret

June 5th, 1992

Third Year

"We slept through it."

"Uh-huh."

"The most dangerous stunt of the year, and we slept through it," Jo said in disbelief.

"Something tells me that's why they did it in the middle of the night," Leilani said. Harry and his friends had, in the middle of the night with no protection, gone into the dungeons and confronted Professor Quirrell.

"I knew there was something wrong with that teacher!" Jo said disgustedly, she'd distrusted the man from the beginning, she just hadn't been able to pinpoint _why._

"I couldn't figure out why he was teaching a subject he was obviously so afraid of," Leili shrugged. The girls were on their way back from breakfast and of course the thing everyone was talking about was the stunt three Gryffindors had pulled to save a stone no one had known existed. "We're going to have to keep a closer eye on them, aren't we?"

"To ensure that we don't sleep through the next opportunity they find to get themselves killed, yeah," Jo sighed.

"Well, at least they did it at the end of exam week! Can you imagine if they'd done it on Monday? The entire school wouldn't be able to concentrate!" Leili chirped, trying to find a bright side.

As Dumbledore would tell Harry when he woke, what happened between he and Professor Quirrell was a complete secret, so, naturally the whole school knew; at least, they thought they knew. The school couldn't know the whole of it, that was for Harry to tell, but from what little Hermione and Ron had said to a bunch of chatty Gryffindors and what else anyone was able to scrounge up, the student body had a pretty good idea of what had transpired the night before. For the girls however, having to find out through the _rumour_ _mill_ that the honorary Hufflepuffs had nearly gotten themselves killed was not a pleasant feeling.

So it was that with renewed vigor, and sneakier tactics, the girls solemnly vowed to keep the three Gryffindors alive for the next six years, assuming of course, that the girls themselves didn't get killed in the process.


	38. Hogwarts Year 3 Chapter 14

This chapter was entirely RandomMuggle's idea, I just wrote it down. Sorry it took so long, I was waiting for RM's approval, but she's been absolutely swamped at work. If she comes back with an edited version, I'll replace this one with it. But for now, we don't own HP and Enjoy.

* * *

Talks of an Alliance

June 13th, 1992

Third Year

"How would you feel about an alliance? Between Slytherin and Hufflepuff," Marcus Flint asked. It was the last Hogsmeade weekend, two days before the train came to take them home, and, after a bit of searching, he'd found Jo and Leilani at the Three Broomsticks and pulled up a chair at their table. They'd both given him funny looks when he'd sat down. He suspected they weren't accustomed to Slytherins being nice to them, let alone sitting down and proposing an alliance.

Leilani held out her arm and said, "Pinch me," Jo pinched her, hard. "Ouch!" She looked back at Flint, "He's still here."

"I think he's serious. Probably ought to stop talking about him as though he weren't there," Jo said with just a hint of admonishment, thoroughly masked by amusement.

"You think?"

"I think."

"Ok," Leilani stood and walked to the counter. She returned with three butterbeers and gave one to Flint, part in welcome and part in apology for being rude. Leili tried to view all the houses as equal, as the founders had wanted, but there were a few centuries of bad blood between the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs, which made it difficult to remain objective. Still, she valued fairness so she tried not to let the inherited prejudice color her judgment too heavily.

"An alliance, with Slytherin?" he prompted.

"What exactly would this alliance do?" Jo asked.

"It would cut down on the bullying for one thing, you'd be free to send back wayward Slytherins, we're generally more likely to consider doing something if it comes from another Slytherin, as opposed to, say, a Hufflepuff, so you'd be free to make requests. If there's anything you, or your Hufflepuffs, need, you could to come to us for help. It would increase communication, that's for sure."

"What's in it for you?" Jo asked.

"You don't believe I'm doing this for the good of both our houses?" Flint asked, an eyebrow quirked over his bottle of butterbeer.

"Not really, no," Leili said. "I could be wrong though, it has happened before," she joked.

"A better name for Slytherins. Right now, most students dread the idea of being sorted into Slytherin, most people see Slytherin House as the house those with the potential to become Dark Wizards go. Just because we value cunning and ambition, doesn't mean we're all evil. Slytherin is not well favoured. What's in it for me is that the name of a proud house stops getting dragged through the mud."

"With intentions like that, you could almost have been a Hufflepuff," Leili said in some wonder. Flint shot her a look that said he was quite happy as a snake, Thankyouverymuch.

"Do you have a name for this alliance?" Jo asked. Flint took this as a sign that they were in, so he told them what he'd thought to call it.

"The SlytherPuff Alliance."

* * *

Well, there you go, that's Harry's first year wrapped. I hope you enjoyed it. Stay tuned and we'll be back with more. (School starts this week so I don't know how often I'll be able to update, have patience.)


	39. Hogwarts Year 4 Chapter 1

Nobody had anything to say about the Slytherpuff Alliance? How Disappointing. We Don't Own Hp. Enjoy.

* * *

September 8th, 1992

Fourth Year

"It's scary how idiotic this man is." Leili muttered as Lockhart tutted his students for not knowing the answers to his four paged, 60 questioned "Little quiz".

"Only Miss Leelani Akihna got most of the questions correct! Well done, Miss Akihna! 5 points to Hufflepuff. Though you did forget my ultimate birthday gift would be peace between magic and no-magic folk, though I wouldn't mind a lifetime subscription of Wizard's sculpting hair gel bottles." He smiled that cheesy, slimy smile of his and half the girls in the room swooned.

Leili cringed when he mispronounced her name and looked at Jo who was, like everyone else, staring at her in disbelief. Loosing her hair from its ponytail to cover her face and thus lessen the effect of the stares, she mouthed, "I'll explain later".

After class Leilani took Jo aside and explained, "I got bored!"

"So you read his books?"

"I had finished all my other books and I was really, _really_ bored. Yes, I read the books, but listen, he's an idiot; he said he used the Homorphus charm to cure a werewolf, his spell for getting rid of pixies doesn't exist: his books are _pure fiction_. He's a fraud! And really, as far as fiction stories go, I've read better."

Silence.

"You read his books?!"

" _Jo_!"

* * *

Correction: One person had something to say about the Slytherpuff Alliance. C'mon people.


	40. Hogwarts Year 4 Chapter 2

Ok, Ducks! Because I like you, (and I have no school today) you'll get a chapter today. And probably another one on Sunday. Depends on my homework situation. This one originally took place next year, but I thought it fit better here. Anyway, read, enjoy, review. We don't own HP. Ta!

edit: I made a small punctuation mistake, fixed now.

* * *

Badger Turf

Late September, 1992

Fourth Year

' **WHACK**!' went the book against the back of Draco Malfoy's blonde head. He'd been tormenting a second year 'puff when Jo and Leilani had come up behind him. He turned around to yell at whomever it was that had interrupted his fun, only to find himself looking up into the faces of two unhappy Hufflepuff girls.

"What's a _snake_ doing in _badger_ territory?" Jo asked, raising an eyebrow as Draco screwed his face into an unbecoming sneer. Before he had a chance to retort hotly, Jo had rolled her eyes and waved him off with a "Talk to Flint."

"So you pissed off Jo and Leilani then?" Marcus said, it wasn't much of a question; he just wanted to hear the kid say it.

Draco's face twisted, "What was _their_ problem?"

"You were their problem, Malfoy. You're lucky they let you off with a warning. Just stick to antagonizing Gryffs, alright? Stay out of Badger turf."

"Why should I?"

"Slytherin and Hufflepuff have a truce. An Alliance. It goes back to the days of the Founding, or very nearly," he said smoothly, adjusting the truth to suit his needs.

"Why would we want an alliance with those mudbloods?" Draco sneered.

"Call Jo or Leiliani a 'Mudblood' to their faces and you'll find out. I'm not saying you have to like them or be nice to them, by all means, torment their students all you want. Just don't say I didn't warn you when they destroy you."


	41. Hogwarts Year 4 Chapter 3

This is just some silly fluff RM and I came up with over email one day. We don't own HP. Enjoy. Hi-ho hi-ho, it's back to homework I go, bada dum badum badum dum dum dum, hi-ho hi-ho hi-ho hi-ho

* * *

Loony Loony Lockhart

Early October, 1992

Fourth Year

The girls sat in the back of class one day as Lockhart rambled on and on about how great he was and how amazing his achievements were. "This guy brings a whole new meaning to the term 'Narcissist'." Leili commented, Jo tried to smother her laughter, but her shoulders shook anyway.

"He's a lunatic! A _complete_ lunatic! He needs to go to St. Mungo's quick!"

"Put him in a padded room, and don't _ever_ let him out."

"Shall we throw away the key? Or melt it down and turn it into another lock?" Snickered Jo.

"Lock, definitely another lock." Leili shuddered.

"So d'you want to call the healer? Or should I?"

"Oh, I think you should have this honor."

"Or, we could just toss him off the astronomy tower… Seems like less work to me." Jo mused.

"Now _that_ is a good idea. I'll take his arms, and you can take his legs?"

"Deal."


	42. Hogwarts Year 4 Chapter 4

Sorry for all the short chapters. There are some longer ones in this year, they're just a bit later and then interspersed with shorter ones. RM and I don't own HP, Enjoy.

* * *

Bunny Adoption

Mid-October, 1992

Fourth Year

The school hustled and bustled, students scampering from one class to another. In a few weeks the buzz that filled the school would be thrown up a notch. But until then, everything was as idyllic as school could be. So when Jo stumbled across a dreamy voiced blonde, she took her back to the Hufflepuff common room, proclaiming, "Leili! Look what I found! I found a firstie!"

"Well, that shouldn't be hard, they're all over the place," Leili said dryly, not looking up from her book.

"Can we keep her?"

"Jo, Firsities are not wandering puppies to be adopted, they're students. We can't just keep them every time we find a cute one!" The little Ravenclaw was cute, if a tad unusual. Jo looked at Leili with raised eyebrows.

"I'll remember that next time you see a cute, fuzzy, oh-so-adorable magical animal and fold your hands in front of your chest and go 'Oh _please_ , can we keep it?'" Jo said, pitching her voice higher and widening her eyes to do the best imitation of her best friend.

"I do _not_ sound like that," Leili said with a repressed grin, before giving in and asking, "Who is she?"

"Her name is Luna and she says I have Nargles in my hair!"

"I… see…" Leilani looked from Jo to the 11-year old girl with wacky glasses perched in her blonde hair and decided _not_ to ask what the heck Nargles were, "Well, then we should wash it! It hasn't been _that_ long since your last bath, has it?" Leili teased, eyeing Jo's mess of brown hair pulled back into an even messier bun.

Jo flopped next to Leili and shoved her shoulder in good-natured retaliation. Luna stayed with the girls during most of her free time henceforth and due to the cheerful bounce in her step was nicknamed Bunny.


	43. Hogwarts Year 4 Chapter 5

Sometimes all you need is tea. And chocolate. Longer Chapters up ahead. We don't own. Enjoy, toodles!

* * *

A Proper Cuppa

November 9th, 1992

Fourth year

It had been a stressful week. Between Mrs. Norris and little Colin Creevey being attacked, which had the entire school freaking out, not to mention end of term exams coming up; Leili had a headache and she was grumpy. The entire castle was on edge and it was beginning to drive her nuts. So, on their way back from Magical Creatures class Leili dragged Jo into the kitchen. "You find chocolate, preferably frog-shaped."

"Got it!" Jo said, speeding off towards the desert section of the kitchen where she got down on her knees and begged chocolate off of the elves. They were so happy to have someone to serve, they tripped over themselves trying to oblige.

While Jo got the Chocolate, Leili found a small kettle and two trivets. Leaving the kitchen the girls hurried back to their dorm where, careful not to set the floor on fire, Leili set about making tea. She set a protective enchantment down over the area before setting a small fire beneath one trivet. She filled the kettle with water, with a quick _aguamenti_ and set it atop the fire. She stood up and admired her handiwork, Jo was grinning at her fiendishly.

"If someone comes in and doesn't look down, they'll probably trip over that, y'know." Leili grumbled an agreeing noise and looked around the room. Her eyes lit on the book Jo held out to her and grinned wickedly. She opened it up to the middle and set it down, upright, to one side of the kettle, she did the same with every book Jo handed her and pretty soon a circle of smiling, winking, strutting and posturing Lockharts enclosed the kettle.

Jo held out her hand and Leili gave it a quick slap before opening up her trunk and rummaging through it. She tossed a bag of whole-leaf green tea up to Jo and continued rummaging before emerging with two hatboxes. She set them down side by side gently on her bed and lifted their lids. Her grandmother was a tea enthusiast and had sent her a white teapot that looked as though it had been used during a Holi festival, with it she had sent matching tea cups and saucers, each a different color. Suddenly the silence was split by a scream and each Lockhart in the barrier was startled out of their frames.

" _Silencio_ ," Jo cast, by the time she got over to the kettle with Leili's teapot, four people came bursting through the door.

"We heard a scream," one Hufflepuff said, slightly out of breath.

Leili pointed and Jo lifted, "Kettle," they said.


	44. Hogwarts Year 4 Chapter 6

A/N I'm not 100% sure whose idea this was, mine or RM's, I think it was hers but She could convince me otherwise. Anyway, This chapter may be a bit confusing, it's rather ambiguous, but I've done it on purpose, suspense and all. If you think you can guess what it is, be my guest, I won't tell you if you're right! :) We don't own HP, enjoy!

* * *

Mama Bear and Little Bird

November 14th, 1992

Fourth Year

Five days after little Colin Creevey was attacked Luna sat down across from the girls at a table in the Great Hall. "Hello Mama Bear, Hello Little Bird," She said.

"Hey, Bunny," Jo said, not looking up from the page she was scribbling on.

"What's up, Luna?"

"I thought you might be interested in these," she said pulling several scrolls from her bag and laying them on the table. "I was in the restricted section for a question I had about Defense against the Dark Arts and I found these, I wasn't allowed to check any of them out so I copied what I thought you might like."

This wasn't exactly unusual, amid her usual oddness about blubbering humdingers and crumple horned snorkaks-animals which the girls were fairly certain didn't exist but didn't want to pop her bubble of belief-Luna was one of the cleverest people the girls had ever met. She had guessed after only two weeks what the girls were up to-protecting Harry-and instead of going to a teacher with the information, she simply pointed out flaws in their plans and came up with the occasional clever idea.

"Thanks Luna, let's see what all you found for us," Leili said, picking up a scroll the Luna had specifically nudged in her direction. Luna watched as Leili's eyes zipped over the scroll before flicking up to her, "Are you sure?" Luna smiled and pushed the other scrolls towards her older Hufflepuff friends. Leili handed Jo the scroll she'd been reading and pulled another from the pile. "We'll have to register, there's no reason for us not to," she said as she scanned the page.

"Luna, you are a _genius_ ," Jo said before turning to Leili. "I told you keeping her around would come in handy." Leili rolled her eyes at Jo with a smile.

"Did you say you needed help with Defense Against?" Leili asked while Jo read.

"Not anymore, I found my answer."

"Ok, now I really want to try this." Jo said after reaching the end of the carefully copied out scroll.

"We can at least start planning, though we probably won't be able to do anything for a while. It's complicated and it's gonna take a while."

"Complicated is my middle name!"

"And Cautious is mine. We've got to be careful with this, can't have it go wrong. …I think Luna should be with us when we start trying it, that way if something does go wrong she can get help."

"Agreed. Bunny, what say you?" Jo asked turning to look at Luna.

"Whenever you're ready!" she agreed with a grin.

It would take a month of sheer planning and then months of trial and error in between classes, they were coming up on their O.W.L's in a year and their teachers were swamping them in homework. They even considered going to Professor McGonagall for help but they were unsure that she _would_ help them.

Once summer came, the girls would continue their attempts, though practicing only at Leili's house with her dad standing watch in case of incident. It was really the only place they could practice safely without getting notices of illegal magic use.

Aloiki wouldn't like what the girls were attempting, working at St. Mungo's had given him an up close account of what happened when spells like this went wrong. He could forbid them from doing it and he knew that they might stop for the summer but they'd just start right up again at school and he wouldn't know. Still, he would reason, at least with them under his supervision he couldn't complain that they were being smart about it; he would be ready in case of any accidents with a lecture and a reversal spell, just in case.


	45. Hogwarts Year 4 Chapter 7

Sorry it's been so long, midterms kinda took over my life. Anyway, I'm back for now, but I'm disappointed in the lack of reviews for the last chapter. Also, I'm nearing the end of the semester so I might end up buried beneath piles of homework. If you don't hear from me for a while, that's why. RM and I don't own Harry Potter. Read, enjoy, REVIEW! (please.)

* * *

Parselmouth

December 17th, 1992

Fourth Year

" _Serpensortia_!" Draco cried. Harry froze; a snake slithered lazily towards him. Their instructions had been to disarm only, what was he supposed to do with a snake? Before he had time to make up his mind Lockhart strutted past him.

With a flick of his wand, Lockhart sent the snake flying into the air and then crashing to the floor. With an angry hiss, the snake turned towards a young Hufflepuff near the table. The snake opened its mouth wide, ready to chomp down on Justin when all of a sudden there was a low hissing coming from the left of the serpent. The snake stopped and turned towards Harry who started hissing again. The snake blinked and Snape came up behind it, wand out.

" _Vipera Evanesca_."

Justin looked at Harry, who was feeling a bit proud of himself for having called off the snake before it attacked anyone. "What are you playing at?" Justin asked, terrified, before running from the hall. After that, Snape cancelled the duelling club. It was, all in all, an utter failure.

The girls followed Justin from the hall, trying to reason with him, "C'mon Justin! I'm sure he didn't mean any harm! Didn't you see his face when you yelled at him?"

"No! I was busy getting as far away from Potter as possible!" Justin responded, fear clouding his ability to see Jo's logic.

"He was confused. Didn't you see him when Malfoy set the snake on him? He didn't know what to do with it. Then that idiot of a teacher had to go and make it mad, if Lockhart had only let Snape handle it, but _no,_ instead he flung it 30 feet in the air so he wouldn't look incompetent. Idiot." Leili tried to explain, only to get sidetracked by Lockhart's stupidity.

"If Harry was really such a bad kid don't you think that he would have sent the snake against someone he actually doesn't like? Like, _Malfoy_ , the one who conjured it in the first place?"

"I… well-I-well-I-I-I don't know! All I know is that snake came towards me and Potter, Potter _hissed_ at it and it looked at him like it was waiting for instructions!"

"Yes, it turned to look at him and it waited; it _waited_. If Harry was evil, don't you think he'd have just told the snake to attack? Not to await further instructions?" Justin spluttered before he walked speedily away from the girls, who were only trying to help.

Jo and Leili stopped, "Harry can talk to snakes. You know anything about that?" Jo asked.

"No, and judging by the look on his face when Justin yelled at him, he doesn't either."


	46. Hogwarts Year 4 Chapter 8

I don't have anything special to say here today. So read, enjoy, review. RM and I don't own HP.

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Attack

December 18th, 1992

Fourth Year

In the Library a group of Hufflepuff second years were saying nasty things about Harry. Harry overheard them and stormed out, frustrated and hurt and just a teeny bit scared. Leili came up behind them and with several resounding whacks to the backs of their heads said, " _You_ are giving all 'Puffs a bad name!" One word per smack.

"But Potter's been behind the attacks! You'd better stay away from him!" Ernie told her solemnly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Harry Potter, attacking students? How dumb can you get?" Jo snorted as she came to stand beside Leilani.

"But it all makes sense! Justin told him he was muggle born and Potter had the snake attack him, Potter had a run in with Filch and then Filch's cat got attacked, that little first year, Creevey, was annoying Potter at the Quidditch match, taking pictures of him and stuff, and then _he_ gets attacked _and_ Potter's a Parselmouth!"

"None of that means anything!" Leili told them, exasperated. "First off: the snake didn't touch Justin, Harry stopped it from attacking Justin, biiiig difference there. As for Mrs. Norris, _my_ cat, Morgan got into a tussle with her that day, do you think _I_ attacked her, hung her by her tail and wrote threatening messages on the wall? No, you don't, because you're not stupid-even if you are acting like it. Colin was annoying Harry the day before, yes, but honestly, who wants pictures of your best friend puking up slugs? C'mon, gross."

"In the muggle world we have a sort-of saying, innocent until proven guilty; what you have is a whole lot of coincidence." Jo told them, hoping this would settle it.

"But Leilani always says, 'once is chance, twice is coincidence and three times is a conspiracy'!" Hannah pointed out and Leilani groaned, she did in fact say that quite often. But she didn't mean it to be taken _literally_ , usually anyway.

"Nice to know they listen to us." Jo muttered. Jo was about to open her mouth to say something else when suddenly Peeves' shout interrupted her thought.

"ATTACK! ATTACK! ANOTHER ATTACK! NO MORTAL OR GHOST IS SAFE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! ATAAAACK!" Before Peeves had even finished, Ernie was leaping up out of the chair and running for the door.

"Ah, stupid cotton pickin' Peeves!" Leili swore, feeling somewhere between whacking him repeatedly with her heaviest book and pulling her hair out. She stopped and looked at Hannah, " _Don't_ repeat that." Hannah blinked as Leili took off after Jo who'd sped off after Ernie. Leili skidded around the corner as a loud bang went off and all the noise she'd heard as she took the stairs two at a time quieted.

Ernie pointed at Harry and panting said, _"Caught in the act!"_ for Harry was standing over a petrified Justin Finch-Fletchley.

"That will do, Macmillan!" Professor McGonagall snapped. Jo whacked him upside the head for Leilani, Peeves was grinning wickedly and singing one of his taunting little songs. "That is _enough,_ Peeves!" McGonagall barked at the poltergeist, who, tongue out at Harry, zoomed away backwards.

Ernie followed as Professors Flitwick and Sinistra carried Justin away to the infirmary while Professor McGonagall gave the girls a pair of large fans and instructions to float Nearly-Headless Nick to the infirmary.

"I wonder how ridiculous this looks…" Leili thought aloud as they fanned Nick down the corridors and up the stairs.

Jo answered simply, "Pretty ridiculous." Three days later the girls were on the train home for Christmas, upon arrival Leili would find that the Lucky potion she'd left stewing at home had gone wrong. Positive she'd followed the instructions, she would wash out the cauldron and start over, making absolutely sure she followed the instructions perfectly.


	47. Hogwarts Year 4 Chapter 9

I give you one brief moment of seriousness, and then I give you fluff. Bonus points if you know where I took the title from. I'm _reasonably_ sure this one was my idea, but it's been so long I honestly don't know for sure. I'm sneaking up on Finals so if you don't hear from me till early July, that's why; I'm just buried. As usual RM and I don't own HP. Read, enjoy, review.

* * *

Banished, Banished, Banished

Late January, 1992

Fourth Year

Jo sat sulking in the common room and a younger 'Puff noticed her unusual behavior. "Hey, Jo? What's the matter?"

Jo didn't even turn to look at the girl as she answered, "Leili banished me from the dormitory."

The girl frowned, that wasn't like Leilani, "Why?"

"For messing up her potion." Jo pouted before adding loud enough for Leilani to hear, " _Apparently_ the paprika in my lunch reacted badly with the dragon's blood in the potion."

"It was the _doxy wings_!" Leili yelled back, irritation coloring her tone.

"What kind of potion is she making that's _that_ sensitive?"

"Damned if _I_ know!" Jo replied indignantly. A minute later, Leili appeared in the doorway, using a work rag to remove the potion from her hands, much like a mechanic would remove oil and grease. Her hair was tied back into a messy bun and there was a pea-soup colored spot on her jaw to match the splotches on her shirt and jeans.

"Woah, what the hell happened, Leilani?" The younger 'Puff asked.

"Exactly what Jo said; apparently, paprika and Doxy wings don't mix." Leili said as she rubbed at her jaw, trying to scrub away the spot she'd missed. Jo sighed and crossed the room, snatching the rag out of Leili's hands and forcing the smaller brunette's head still so she could remove the spot Leili had been missing.

"Want me to help clean up?"

"It's done, besides, I _banished_ you," Leili teased with a smile.

"Meanie."

"Idjit."


	48. Hogwarts Year 4 Chapter 10

I have lots of little scraps like this, most of them don't fit anywhere. This one was alllll RM's idea. You can tell by the level of snark. This is the last chapter until early July so savor it.

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Kindling

Valentine's day, 1993

Fourth Year

When Jo and Leilani walked groggily into the great hall that morning they were stunned find the hall done over in pink. Lots and lots of _pink,_ pink flowers, confetti, pink _everything_. It was instantly sobering and at the same time, frightening. Banners had been hung with red hearts on pink backgrounds; even Lockhart wore bright pink robes. There were unhappy dwarves milling around the castle charged with delivering singing Valentines.

"I am _never_ wearing pink again," Leili vowed. They took their seats for breakfast and found a signed card of Lockhart grinning at them, "Oh, wow! A signed photograph of Professor Lockhart, just what I've _always_ wanted!" she mocked, rather over enthusiastically.

"Oh, goodie, _kindling_ ," Jo said dryly.


	49. Hogwarts Year 4 Chapter 11

I'm ba-ack! This one was again all RM's idea; she's good, she'd be better if she had time to practice. :) I just got back from a week with her and she turned Neglected on its head so be pre-paaared~! We don't own HP, we just enjoy tinkering. Enjoy!

* * *

Spike

Early March, 1993

Fourth Year

"It's not going to work," Leili said as Jo prepared to walk out of their dorm.

"Hush, you'll jinx it. Knock on wood," both girls, in the otherwise empty dorm, reached over and rapped their knuckles on the nearest wooden thing.

"See you in a bit, then," Leili said looking up from her book to watch Jo walk out the door with her Monster Book of Monsters trailing behind her on a leash. Jo and Spike walked up the stairs; well, Jo walked, Spike thumped loudly from step to step. The girl and her book made their way casually through the common room, past Professor Sprout's desk.

Professor Sprout had vetoed an actual office, choosing instead to keep a desk in the Hufflepuff common room so she could do her work near her students; she liked to keep an eye on them. Hufflepuffs weren't typically prone to bone headed bravery like Gryffindors, nor were they typically as sneaky about dodging rules like Slytherins, but they had their moments.

As Jo and Spike walked past her, Professor Sprout looked up and raised an eyebrow, watching the pair make their way to the door. She leaned back in her chair and called, "Jocelyn."

Jo stopped.

"What are you doing?"

Turning to look at her Head of House Jo grinned beseechingly, "Taking Spike for a walk…" Professor Sprout said nothing, simply giving her a long-suffering look over the top of her glasses and a thumb jab back in the direction Jo had come. "C'mon, Spike," Jo sighed and trudged her way back to Leili.

Jo didn't see it but Professor Sprout was actually trying not to laugh as she shook her head and watched the girl go. Jocelyn and Leilani provided her with a vast amount of entertainment with their antics. She loved all her students, but Jo and Leili were two of her favourites. They were so inexplicably silly sometimes, like taking a book for a walk (Jo) or knitting with their wands (also Jo), making _tea_ on the _floor_ (both Jo _and_ Leilani).

Leili looked up when she heard the door close. There stood a downcast Jo unhooking Spike from his leash, "Didn't work?" she asked. Jo gave her a dirty look and Leili grinned, "Told you so."


	50. Hogwarts Year 4 Chapter 12

Nothing special to say here, today. This one's pretty much all mine, except for Jo's question, that's from RM. As usual, we do not own HP. Enjoy.

* * *

Magic and Mandrakes

March 15th - 28th 1993  
Fourth Year

Leili and Jo stood around the tables in green house three, they were helping with the mandrakes, along with the rest of their house. "Earmuffs on! Flaps down tight!" Professor Sprout said, patting her earmuffs tight around her ears.

"Professor Sprout? Wouldn't it be easier on our ears if we used a silencing charm?" Leili asked.

Professor Sprout smiled at her, "I need you to be able to hear me, which you won't if I use a silencing charm. Now-"

"What if we dug them up gently? Instead of yanking them out of the ground by their branches?" Jo asked.

" _Now_ ," Professor Sprout said to cut off any more interruptions, "earmuffs on and flaps down tight! Ready? Remember: Grasp them tight and pull straight up. 1, 2, 3," _Yank._ Mandrakes were quickly removed from their pots and examined before being deposited into bigger pots and covered in fresh, warm dirt.

No one had been petrified since before winter break, but everyone was still at a loss as to what was causing it. For now, the Mandrakes were coming along nicely; they had recently thrown a party in the green house, their acne was clearing up and they would be ready for harvesting once they began to move into each other's pots.

To appease Leili's parents, Jo and Leilani went home for Easter break; they celebrated Leili's 15th birthday, Jo gave her a silver charm bracelet, her parents gave her a bookbag-patterned with white lightning striking across a purple sky-and Kanani had filled it with books, because what book bag would be complete without half a dozen good (heavy) books?

It was a nice break, save for Leili's parents worried nagging over the state of things at the school. At night the girls gossiped about boys. Jo refused to admit to anything between her and Marcus Flint and Leili _swore_ there was nobody she had _her_ eye on.

In the back of her mind Jo thought about telling Leili her suspicions, that there was a boy who liked her. She had no proof, just what she'd seen. She'd noticed it last year. The hints were subtle but they were there. Leili hadn't picked up on them though. Jo considered saying something; maybe if she said something, it would move things along faster.

 _But_ , if she said something then Leili would fret over it; a boy _liked_ her, but what if she didn't feel the same way? She'd worry about how he'd take the rejection. In the end, Jo decided not to tell her. If Leili was happy not knowing, then she was happy and in the end that's all Jo really cared about.

Though she did wish the boy would hurry up about it, you'd think that being in Gryffindor he'd have the nerve to say something by now.


	51. Hogwarts Year 4 Chapter 13

Dear Guest Reviewer, Thank you _so_ much for your review! Have no fear, this story will not be abandoned! I have almost all of it written. Anyway, read, enjoy, review!

* * *

Morgan

April 1993  
Fourth Year

It was the week after the Easter holiday and Leili was practicing a camouflage spell, one that would create near invisibility. It could come in handy for stalking the Gryffindor trio. Jo had, perhaps wisely, opted out of the experiment part, despite Leili's assurances that nothing would happen. Leili's cat Morgan however, had no such qualms about being used for experimental spell work. She just sat there, washing her ears and curling her tail back and forth.

"I'm really not entirely happy about experimenting on my cat, y'know."

"Oh, but you're ok with experimenting on me?" Jo snarked.

"You can defend yourself, she can't."

"Oh please, she's a cat, have you _seen_ her claws? She's hardly defenseless. Besides, you said yourself, 'nothing is going to happen'." Leili made an indecisive noise.

"You're ok with me doing this, Mor?" Morgan purred loudly. "I guess that's a yes. Ok, here goes nothing," Leili reached her wand out and tapped Morgan between the ears and carefully recited the incantation for the Disillusionment charm. She'd been practicing since summer; She'd found the spell in one of Kanani's textbooks.

For a moment, nothing happened. Morgan just shook her head like someone had blown in her ear, and then a ripple went over her fur bringing with it near perfect invisibility. It wasn't absolute, you could just barely see Morgan's outline; it was more obvious when she moved. "Nicely done, Leili!" Jo said. "If I didn't know she was there, I'm not sure I'd know she was there." Leili reached forward to scratch Morgan behind the ears, only to have her hand meet nothing but air. She waved her hand over where the cat _should_ be. Nothing.

"Mor? Morgan? Where d'you go, kitten?" Wave, wave, nothing. No cat. "Uh-oh. Jo, she's gone. I think I worked that spell a little bit too well." In all fairness to Leilani, cats could practically turn invisible without the help of magic.

" _Lumos_ ," Jo cast, her wand tip flaring to life. She waved her wand in widening circles around the last place they had seen Morgan. No shadows. She was gone. Leili scrambled from the room.

"MORGAN! Here, kitty! Where are you, kitty? C'mon, where are you? Where aaare you?"

"We need cat nip."

"With my luck it'll attract every cat in the castle except mine," Leili groused.

Over the next week and a half-it took them three days to get some cat nip seeds, and another week to grow the stupid plant-reports came in from all over the castle of mysterious trippings, shredded curtains, phantom purring and invisible paws attacking feet beneath bed covers.

When at last the catnip was ready, the girls placed the pot in the hallway outside the Hufflepuff barrels and sure enough, in no time at all, cats flocked to it, but not Morgan. Their next step was to put up lost cat posters around the castle-they carefully didn't mention that she was an _invisible_ cat.

At the end of the week, no one had come forward with Morgan or information as to her whereabouts. The girls had removed the catnip after a day, planted it outside. When Morgan had been missing for a full three weeks and Leili was beginning to despair of ever getting her cat back, Professor McGonagall appeared behind her on feet as silent as any cat's.

"Miss Akina," she said.

Leili turned around and saw the normally stern-looking Professor smiling with a cat tucked under her chin, purring loudly.

" _Morgan!_ " she cried, reaching for her cat. "Where have you been?! I've been worried about you!" Morgan butted Leili's cheek with her head and gave a catty meow. "Thank you, Professor!"

"You have a good cat there, Miss Akina; I suggest you not Disillusion her anymore."

"Yes, Professor, I mean, no professor!" Leili laughed, hugging Morgan tightly, scratching her behind one ear. "I mean, thank you, Professor." Professor McGonagall gave her a nod and swept away.

"Bad Cat," Leili whispered. Morgan just purred louder.


	52. Hogwarts Year 4 Chapter 14

This one was pretty much written by just me, except for the bits I borrowed from the book/movie. We don't own. Enjoy.

* * *

The Not So 'Itsy Bitsy' Spiders

May 8th -24th, 1993

Fourth Year

The fourth attack came out of nowhere. The previous attack had happened 6 months earlier, on December 18th. After a month with no attacks, people began to relax, two months, they stopped looking over their shoulders, after six months, life was almost normal at the school… almost. And then Hermione Granger and Penelope Clearwater were found petrified in the hallway near the library.

The school was thrown into instant chaos, those who had relaxed were on their guard again and those who had never truly stopped looking over their shoulders were more frightened than ever. Both Jo and Leilani were wary, as neither were pure blood. Leili's parents kept threatening to yank their daughters out of school and the only reason Jo was still in school was because she had kept the attacks out of her letters home and her mom didn't receive any of the wizarding newspapers. The Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff match was cancelled; Dumbledore was removed as headmaster and Hagrid taken to Azkaban

Two weeks later, Jo and Leilani were following Ron and Harry through the halls-without the benefit of Lucky Potion as Leili had received a letter from her mother that morning saying it had gone wrong again, much to the girls' dismay-when they heard the boys discover a trail of quickly fleeing spiders, "Follow the spiders, why couldn't it be follow the butterflies?" Ron moaned as he and Harry snuck out.

"I'm with Ron on this one, I _hate_ spiders," Jo said venomously.

Leili shuddered, "I can handle _one_ small one but not a whole colony of the things. Eugh!" She rubbed her arms vigorously to rid them of the rapidly appearing goosebumps. "Do we follow them?" she asked, though she had a hunch she already knew the answer.

"I don't see that we have a lot of choice, you know what kind of pets Hagrid keeps, we have no idea what they're going to find in that forest, or that they'll come out alive."

"Whatever it is, it won't be pretty." Leili drew her wand and with a smart rap on Jo's head cast a Disillusionment charm, thus turning her into a human chameleon. She twirled her wand around herself, casting the same spell. It was nothing like an invisibility cloak and wouldn't hold up under intense scrutiny (unless you were a cat), but hopefully it would keep them unnoticed. She sighed, "Sneaking after them could be _so_ much easier if we had animagus forms or liquid luck."

"What's up with that potion, anyway?" Jo asked as they followed the boys following the spiders into the forbidden forest.

"I can't get the ingredients."

"Why not?"

"The ones that are sold legally are so expensive it would cost me a year's allowance to buy them once. Illegally, it's about a hundred times worse."

"Yikes." Eventually they stopped in a hollow in the forest, where an elephant-sized spider stepped into the light. This was Hagrid's former pet Acromantula, named Aragog. Just looking at the thing gave the girls the heebie jeebies and the effect on Ron was about 10 times worse.

"If you're not the monster, then what killed that girl 50 years ago?" Fang started growling a warning but was ignored.

"We do not speak its name! It is an ancient beast we spiders fear above all others," Aragog snapped. Ron was tugging impatiently on Harry's sleeve,

"Harry…" he said, in a half whisper, half whine. Harry shushed him.

"Have you seen it?"

"I never saw any part of the castle except for the box Hagrid kept me in." Jo sarcastically and silently wondered what exactly Hagrid would have done with the now elephant-sized spider when it got too big for the box. "The girl was found in a bathroom and when I was accused, Hagrid brought me here, where I have made my home."

" _Harry…!_ " Ron said, obviously greatly distressed and, honestly, who could blame him? Large spiders, presumably Aragog's children, were descending from the trees on ropes of spider silk.

"What?" Ron pointed up and Harry looked and then looked back at Aragog taking a few hurried steps back, "Well, thank you, this has been helpful. We'll just be going now."

"Oh, I think not. My sons and daughters do not harm Hagrid, on my command, but I can't deny them fresh meat when it wanders so willingly into our domain. Goodbye, friends of Hagrid." Harry and Ron began back pedaling even faster now, but they were on two legs on unfamiliar terrain, no match for the colony of spiders on eight legs who knew every inch of the forest floor. Before anyone had a chance to utter a spell, bright headlights came roaring around the corner.

The Flying Ford Anglia the boys had taken to school at the beginning of the year came to the rescue. The horn honked angrily, the tires spun wildly and the engine growled menacingly. It rammed itself into the attacking spiders and flung its doors and trunk open to allow the duo that was really a quartet and Fang to jump inside, before hitting reverse and escaping the spiders through a path the car obviously knew quite well. 10 minutes later the car stopped so abruptly that the front seat passengers were nearly thrown through the windshield and the passengers in the trunk were slammed into the back of the back seat and into each other. The girls heard Fang-if the sound of toenails on glass were any indication-try to scrabble out through the window.

They heard the doors open and saw the trunk lid pop. Very carefully the girls slid out of the trunk through the barest of openings and slinked out of the way trying to make as little sound as possible. Harry gave the car a grateful pat on the hood and when Ron regained the use of his legs the four of them, minus Fang who had run off home with his tail tucked firmly between his legs, made their way out of the last few feet of forest.

"Follow the spiders, follow the spiders, I'm never going to forgive Hagrid, what the _bloody_ hell was he thinking?"

"That Aragog would be useful, and I bet he never thought Aragog would hurt friends of his."

"What was the point in sending us in there? What have we learned? I'd like to know!"

"We learned that Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets, he's innocent." Ron gave a loud snort. Evidently, hatching Aragog out of a cupboard wasn't his idea of innocence. The girls saw the boys safely inside the castle before seeking out their own beds.

"The next opportunity I have to squish a spider with my shoe, I'm taking it!" Leilani said once the boys were out of earshot.

"Why waste a _perfectly_ good shoe on a spider? I'm opting for a sledge hammer!"


	53. Hogwarts Year 4 Chapter 15

Happee Birthdae, Harry! It's not every day your young man turns thirty-seven, now is it?

 _ahem._ RM helped me a great deal with these next few chapters, so, so helpful, couldn't have done them without her. I did borrow from JK on parts of some of these next chapters, kinda hard not to, but no infringement intended, ever. Anyway, RM and I don't own Harry Potter or its expanding universe. Read, enjoy, and please, for Harry's birthday, leave us a review.

* * *

The Second Message

May 29th, 1993

Fourth Year

There was writing on the wall again. Jo knew it. She knew it half a second before Interim Headmistress McGonagall ordered all students back the their dormitories. Leili barely had time to reflect that since Harry had come to the school, she and Jo had done a lot of rule breaking before Jo asked her to recast the Disillusionment charm.

"There's blood on the wall again," was all the explanation Jo needed to give, there was no time for her to examine this knowledge or the surety with which she knew it. Leilani cast the charm and they fought the flow of traffic to where the teachers had gathered.

"Who is it? Which student has been taken?" Madam Hooch asked; she'd sunk to the floor like putty in a microwave upon the discovery of a missing student.

"Ginny Weasley," Interim Headmistress McGonagall said, her voice sad and devoid of any hope that the little girl was still alive. Somewhere down the hall a door slammed open and Lockhart came beaming in.

"So sorry, dozed off, what've I missed?" he said genially. Everyone looked at him with hatred on their faces.

Professor Snape stepped forward saying, "Just the man; the very man. A girl has been snatched by the monster, Lockhart. Taken into the Chamber of Secrets itself. Your moment has come at last." A smile twisted on Snape's face as Lockhart blanched.

The teachers _kindly_ reminded him of all the things he'd told them: that he'd known where the entrance lay, that he'd wished he'd had a crack at the beast before Hagrid had been arrested, that he knew what the dreaded creature inside truly was, that the whole affair had been bungled and that he should've been given free reign from the start, forcing the blonde buffoon to stutter.

"We'll leave it you, Gilderoy, free reign at last."

"V-very well then, I'll-I'll just b-be in my office getting re-re-ready, then." With that he left the room, faster than you could say 'lickedy split'.

"Well that gets him out from under our feet." McGonagall continued. "The Heads of Houses should inform their students of what's happened and that the Hogwarts Express will be arriving to take them home tomorrow. The rest of you, please make sure no students have been left out of their dormitories."

As the teachers rose and left one by one, the girls took their cue to get back to their house before Professor Sprout-at least that was Leili's plan. Jo had a different idea. The professors weren't going to do anything so _they_ would.

They didn't know that Harry and Ron were just around the corner in the staff room, though they later suspected they should have guessed.

"What do you _expect_ him to _do,_ Jo?" Leili asked as they snuck along the wall. Lockhart was an A-class _idiot_ , they'd have better luck hitting the library and trying to figure out what they were up against and telling literally _anybody else_.

"I don't know!" Jo responded, frustrated. She was frustrated with the situation, she was frustrated with Leilani, she was frustrated with the teachers, she was just all around _frustrated_ and it was high time they did something about it. "But it's better than just _sitting_ here doing _nothing;_ that girl is _dying_! Don't tell me you're okay with that!"

" _No_! Of course not! But-! But how can _we_ do anything? We don't know _where_ the monster is, we don't even know _what_ it is!"

They hurried after Lockhart, only to find Harry and Ron had beaten them there and Lockhart was threatening to Obliviate them. They lurked just behind the door, listening, ready to fling it open and rescue the boys if they needed to.

"Awfully sorry, boys, but I'll have to put a Memory Charm on you now. Can't have you blabbing my secrets all over the place. I'd never sell another book—"

Everyone reached for their wands but Harry beat them all to it. Lockhart had barely raised his when Harry bellowed, "Expelliarmus!"

Lockhart was blasted backward, falling over his trunk; his wand flew high into the air. Ron caught it and flung it out the open window.

"Shouldn't have let Professor Snape teach us that one," said Harry furiously, kicking Lockhart's trunk aside. Lockhart was looking up at him, feeble and small. Harry was still pointing his wand at him and by now everyone else had done the same.

"What d'you want _me_ to do?" said Lockhart weakly. "I don't know where the Chamber of Secrets is. There's nothing I can do."

"You're in luck," said Harry, forcing Lockhart to his feet at wand point. "We think we know where it is. And what's inside it. Let's go."

Jo jabbed Leili in the arm as if to say, "See! This _was_ a good idea!"

Leili smacked her hand away as if to respond, "How was _I_ supposed to know that?!"


	54. Hogwarts Year 4 Chapter 16

Allow me to interrupt your regularly scheduled programming: I can't _believe_ I didn't wish Neville or JKR a Happy Birthday! I'm a horrible person. Why did none of you tell me? Happy Belated Birthday Neville! Happy Belated Birthday, JKR! Also, RIP Robert Hardy AKA Minister Fudge.

We Now Return You To Your Regularly Scheduled Program. (We still don't own HP, we hope you enjoy, RM and JKR did a lot of the hard work on this chapter. Please review.)

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Into the Chamber

May 29th, 1993

Fourth Year

The boys marched Lockhart down to the third floor girls bathroom to visit Myrtle, "Oh, it's you," she said sourly when she saw Harry. "What do you want this time?"

"To ask you how you died," said Harry.

Myrtle's whole attitude did a 180, she looked as though she had never been asked such a flattering question. "Ooooh, it was dreadful," she said with relish. "It happened right in here. I died in this very stall. I remember it so well! I'd hidden because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses.

"The door was locked, and I was crying, and then I heard somebody come in. They said something funny, a kind of a different language, I think it must have been. Anyway, what really got me was that it was a boy speaking. So I unlocked the door, to tell him to _go away_ , and then I died." Myrtle's face shone, she almost looked alive again.

"How?" Harry asked.

"No idea," said Myrtle in hushed tones. "I just remember seeing a pair of great, big, yellow eyes. My whole body sort of seized up, and then I was floating away..." She gazed dreamily at Harry. "And then I came back again. I was determined to haunt Olive Hornby, you see. Oh, she was sorry she'd ever laughed at my glasses."

"Where exactly did you see the eyes?" said Harry.

"Over there," Myrtle pointed at the sinks, "Somewhere."

Harry closely examined the sinks. "This one," he said, stopped in front of a sink with a small snake engraved in the faucet. He squinted at it and turned his head to try and imagine it alive, then, he hissed at it.

Skulking behind Harry and Ron, the girls watched as one sink slid forward and the boys pushed Lockhart forward before they jumped into what had been a hidden tunnel. Seeing no other option but to follow, the girls launched themselves after them. The tunnel went on for miles, twisting and turning until finally it spit them out in a stone room covered in the bones of small animals. Beyond it was darkness, more tunnel.

The girls edged ahead of Harry and Ron sticking to the shadows so they mightn't be seen, they were still disillusioned, but that didn't mean they were taking unnecessary risks. Suddenly there was a sound behind them, Lockhart had collapsed, the coward.

"Get up," Ron ordered, pointing his poorly repaired wand and him. Lockhart gathered his feet under him and _launched_ himself at Ron, snatching away his wand.

"The adventure ends _here_ , boys!" he said. "I shall take a bit of this skin back up to the school, tell them I was too late to save the girl, and that you two tragically lost your minds at the sight of her mangled body — say good-bye to your memories!" He raised Ron's Spellotaped wand high over his head and cried, " _Obliviate_!"

It backfired.

Literally and rather explosively.

The shock wave forced Harry and the girls further into the chamber while blocking the only exit out, trapping Ron and Lockhart.

"Ron! Ron, are you okay?"

Ron coughed, "Yeah, he's not though, the git; He got blasted by the wand. What now?"

Harry looked at the rocks, he'd never tried to move anything so large before, there were cracks in the other walls too; what if trying brought the whole tunnel down on them? "Wait here, I'll try and find Ginny. If I'm not back in an hour…"

"I'll try and shift some of this rock so you can get back through," Ron was not tolerating the idea of losing his best friend and his little sister in the same night.

Harry stepped forward and Ron stayed behind with the Obliviated Lockhart. The girls carefully picked their way through the bones trying not to create enough noise to be noticed. They followed a long and dimly lit tunnel. It turned this way and that way until it stopped at a great stone lock.

Thinking of Hermione, Harry raised his wand and cast-without much hope of it working-" _Alohomora_." Predictably, it didn't work. So Harry gritted his teeth and stared at the snake lock and told it in no uncertain terms, _"Open,_ " The snakes responded to the hissed command and the lock began to open. It took its sweet time doing it though.

The chamber beyond was a stone path surrounded by dark water, lined with snake twined stone pillars and giant stone snake heads. At the far end was a statue, the only well lit thing in the place, the head of a man-probably Slytherin himself.

There at the end of the giant stone pillar and snake-lined path, standing before the statue was a dark haired boy, probably in his sixth year or so. The girls didn't recognize him, but Harry saw red hair and hurried forward.

The girls followed, stopping at a distance, partially hidden behind a pillar as Harry confronted the older boy.

Unsure what to do, they stared for a moment, but they were talking, just _talking._ Ginny was right there and they were _chatting_? But perhaps Harry knew the guy, it was possible, the girls didn't know _everybody_ at school. So they waited.

They caught snippets of the conversation, "It's very boring, having to listen to the silly little troubles of an eleven-year-old girl," the boy went on. "But I was patient. I wrote back."

The girls could hear the boy pitch his voice to imitate Ginny, but they were too far away and the room, despite being stone, seemed to absorb most of the words.

"…couldn't have been more delighted. Of all the people … You… most anxious to meet."

"…why…meet me?" They heard Harry say.

"… _Fascinating_ history," they caught, and "Hagrid's my friend!" came through loud and clear because Harry had practically shouted it. More words were mumbled; _man_ this boy could talk!

"…finish Salazar Slytherin's _noble_ work." Most of the next bit was too quiet to catch but they did understand when they boy said, "there isn't much life left in her. . . . She put too much into the diary, into me. Enough to let me leave its pages at _last_!" and "Dumbledore's been driven out of this castle by the mere memory of me!" he half shouted, half hissed.

"He's not as gone as you might think!" Suddenly song filled the chamber and Fawkes appeared, dropping the sorting hat in Harry's lap. Fawkes gleamed in the low light, almost seeming a living flame. There was some more talking before the sound of stone sliding against stone and more hissing filled the stone room.

Then, an enormous snake came slithering out of what appeared to be Salazar Slytherin's giant mouth.

"Is that-?" Leilani started.

"A _basilisk,_ " Jo responded.

"Merlin 'n' Morrigan save us," Leilani muttered under her breath.

The older boy raised his wand to curse Harry, who was scrambling away from the snake.

"Well that's just not fair," said Jo, raising her wand as well.

"We're doing this?" Leili asked.

"We're doing this. _Bombarda!"_ Jo aimed for the boy, blasting the area around him into rubble.

" _Protego_!" shouted Leilani immediately, not waiting to see if it would be necessary. As they ducked around their hiding place to aim their spells, they caught glimpses of words written in the air. Between the two of them they managed to read 'Riddle' and 'Voldemort', which alone told them all they needed to know, really.

The boy Voldemort hissed something to the Basilisk before a jet of spell-light came hurtling at the girls from the dust cloud, off its mark by a hair, and superheated the pillar they were crouched behind, turning it into magma.

Jo grabbed Leili's hand and pulled them out of the way, into the water. Jo cast _lumos_ and they dove, swimming along the path towards Ginny. The water was just deep enough to swim through without mass amounts of splashing.

While Harry scuttled along the walls, Fawkes blinded the basilisk. Riddle was hiss/shouting something to the snake but it wasn't listening. The snake's tail swept the hat into Harry's lap. Riddle was looking wildly around the magma pillar for his invisible opponents; they'd traded places, he by the pillar, they by Ginny.

"I've got an idea, gonna need a distraction. In all fairness, there's a strong chance this _won't_ work," Leili whispered when they surfaced.

"Try it anyway!" Jo said with a hint of reprimand as she looked around for something she could use. Distractions were her specialty. " _Aguamenti!_ " she cast and a jet of cold water collided with the magma pillar, filling the area with steam. Out of their sight, Harry pulled on the sorting hat and _begged_ for help, a sword fell on his head.

Leili took a deep breath and dredged up a memory of an exorcism they'd found in a book locked away in the restricted section-because _of course_ they'd been in the restricted section. They'd spent their second year tripping the alarm spells and running away.

She hoped pronunciation didn't count against her as she began to chant, " _Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica, ergo draco maledicte, ut ecclesiam tuam secura, tibi facias libertate servire, te rogamus, audi nos_!"

The boy Voldemort flickered and vanished.

"Is he gone?" Leili asked hesitantly. "Oddly corporeal for a ghost. _Too_ corporeal."

"I'm not hanging around to find out!" Jo retorted. Luckily for them, Harry was too busy grappling with the basilik to hear them. Not-so-lucky for them, Riddle wasn't _actually_ a ghost and therefore bounced back from exorcisms.

The steam had started to dissipate and he could see the ripples they caused in the water well enough to aim, blasting them out of the water. They never knew what spell hit them. As they collided with the wall, Harry skewered the basilisk, ripping out a fang when he reclaimed the sword from the roof of the snake's mouth.

As Harry began to die, Riddle taunted him, saying, "So ends the famous Harry Potter, alone in the Chamber of Secrets. You'll be back with your dearly departed mud-blood mother soon, Harry. Eleven years of borrowed time, but Lord Voldemort got you in the end. Oh yes, I got you in the end."

Fawkes dropped the diary into Harry's lap and Harry with his last bit of strength rammed the fang into the center of it. Panicked now, Riddle raised Harry's wand and began the curse he was so famous for.

"Avada-" he started but Harry shish-ka-bobbed the diary with the fang that had pierced his arm.

Repeatedly.

Riddle screamed as the Basilisk venom ate away at the bits of leather and paper, the thing _bled_. Admittedly it was ink but still, it _bled_. When Riddle was gone, Harry tried to rouse Ginny as Fawkes looked balefully at him and his wounded arm.

The girls knew just enough about phoenixes to figure out that as Harry collapsed into a seemingly unconscious heap, Fawkes was crying on his arm, purging the Basilisk venom from his system.

Pretty sure the 12 year old was out like a light, the girls picked themselves up and dripped over to where the mangled diary lay. Leili pressed wet fingers to both kids' throats, just to make sure they still had pulses, before they turned their attention to the stupid little diary that had caused so much trouble.

Suffering the effects of Basilisk venom, Harry faded in and out of consciousness. Fawkes had healed his arm, but even phoenix tears took some time for full potency.

"Is it dead?" Harry heard a voice ask. His eyes flickered open to take in two blurry pairs of shoes before drifting shut again; it was so much effort to keep them open.

"It's a _book,_ how can it be _alive_?" a different voice responded, Harry barely had time to realize it sounded exasperated before he blacked out.

"Do you really want to argue this right now?" Jo whispered.

Leili paused, "Right. So…steal it?"

"Steal it," Jo nodded once.

"Can we _touch_ it?" She wasn't sure, after all it had done some major damage to Ginny.

Before Leili could stop her, Jo reached down and grasped the book's spine firmly, almost as though it was trying to escape. "Looks like it. So, hide?"

"…Why?"

"Do _you_ wanna explain the stalking?"

"Good point. Yes, hide."

"I call the left nostril!" Jo cried gleefully.

"Ew! No! I'm not getting in there!" Leili said, repulsed.

"Fine. Mouth."

"What? How is that _better_? A giant snake used to live in that mouth!"

Ginny groaned behind them.

"No time to argue!" Jo took Leilani's hand and dragged her to the statue's gaping maw, hoisting her inside.

"This is by far the stupidest idea we've had," Leili groused as she settled into the cavernous shadows.

"Hush, hide behind his tongue."

" _You_ hide behind his tongue!"

"Shh!" Jo hushed her.

On the floor Harry was coming back to, prodded by Ginny shaking his shoulder, "Harry! I didn't mean to! I t-tried to tell you but I c-couldn't in front of Percy. It was _me!_ I-I s-swear I d-didn't mean to! R-Riddle made me, he t-took me over and how did you kill that-that _thing_? W-where's Riddle? The last thing I r-remember is him coming out of the diary…"

"It's all right," said Harry, now roused and healed and sitting up, "Riddle's finished. Him _and_ the basilisk. C'mon, Ginny, let's get out of here." He looked around for the diary, but it was nowhere to be seen.

"I'm going to be _expelled_!" Ginny wept as Harry helped her awkwardly to her feet. "I've looked forward to coming to Hogwarts ever since B-Bill came and n-now I'll have to leave and — w-what'll _Mum and Dad_ say?"

The girls waited until they were sure the kids and Lockhart had made it out, until they could no longer hear phoenix song before climbing out of the statue. "Good riddance to that thing!" Jo said as they limped past the dead basilisk. They made it to the Chamber entrance and sat down on a particularly large piece of rubble.

Tiredly Leili pointed her wand at the pipe above them and sighed, " _Ascendio_." The rubble launched into the air, following the pipe before bursting out of the circle of sinks in Myrtle's bathroom.

Not bothering to extend the Disillusionment charm to the rubble, the girls flew down the halls to their common room. They stopped, disembarked and crawled through the barrel, down the stairs and into bed.

Then, just as Leilani was about to fall asleep, she jerked awake with a gasp.

"What?! What is it?!" Jo jolted awake.

"I've just had _the greatest_ idea _of my life_!"

"Yeah? What is it?" Jo asked around a yawn.

"Lockhart! He uses Occamy Egg yolks in his hair concoction! I can get the shells from _him_!"

"He doesn't even remember who he is, let alone who makes his shampoo."

"A narcissist like him, I'll bet he has a standing order," Leili touted, feeling mighty proud of herself.

"Ok, but how do we get the shells? Or the rest of the ingredients?"

"The Ashwinder is spawned from an unattended fire, that's easy, the Murtlap tentacles I can actually get from my dad-he'll ask why I want them, though, that could be tricky-and we actually has Snow Glory flowers here, in the common room, and the Rue I can also get from my dad."

"You have the potion memorized?" Jo asked, slightly incredulous.

"I've been trying to get ingredients for it since this time last year, I got tired of carrying a list."

Jo sighed and stood up, crossing to Leili's bed. She put her hands on Leili's shoulders and looked down at her face in the darkness, "It's late. Go to sleep."

Leili grinned, "I'm keeping you up. Sorry."

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PS. Thanks to Supernatural for the exorcism.


	55. Hogwarts Year 4 Chapter 17

Nothin' much to say here. The usual, we don't own, credit for canonical bits goes to JKR, as always. 2 more chapters here and then on to fifth year, which is exciting, it should be fun. Read and Review, pretty please?

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Friends in Unexpected Places

May 29th, 1993

Fourth Year

Harry, Ron, Ginny and Lockhart followed Fawkes to McGonagall's office where Harry explained the whole thing to not only McGonagall but also Dumbledore and the Weasley's. Ginny was properly chastised about trusting an object that could think for itself when she couldn't see where it kept its brain. Ginny and Lockhart were escorted to the hospital wing by Ron and his parents, leaving Harry alone with Dumbledore.

"Professor, the Sorting Hat told me I'd've-I'd've done well in Slytherin, everyone _thought_ I was Slytherin's Heir because-Because I can speak Parseltounge…"

"You can speak Parseltounge, Harry, because Voldemort-Salazar Slytherin's sole remaining descendant, his _heir,_ speaks Parseltongue. Unless I am very much off my guess, the night Voldemort tried to kill you he-quite unintentionally-transferred some of his power to you."

"So I _should_ be in Slytherin! The Hat could see that power in me and it-"

" _Put you in Gryffindor_."

"Only because I asked!"

" _Exactly_ , Harry, it is our _choices_ that determine who we are, far more than our abilities. If you desire more proof, perhaps you should look at this," Dumbledore handed him the sword, still covered in Basilisk blood. Harry carefully accepted it and by the light of the fire the blood accentuated the letters engraved in the blade, Godric Gryffindor. "Only a true _Gryffindor_ could have pulled that from the hat, Harry."

For a minute the only sound was the crackling of the fire, then Dumbledore pulled some parchment and ink from McGonagall's desk and declared that he needed to write Azkaban for the return of their Game Keeper, and to draft an ad for the Prophet regarding a new DADA teacher-they did go through them quickly, didn't they?

Tanking this as a dismissal Harry got up and crossed to the door. He had just reached for the handle when the door burst open so violently that it bounced back off the wall, nearly slamming into the face of the _furious_ Lucius Malfoy. Cowering behind his legs, heavily wrapped in bandages, was Dobby.

The man was positively _fuming_! Dobby was still trying to polish his shoes while Dumbledore informed Lucius that the other eleven school governors had contacted him upon hearing that the youngest Weasley was dead and demanded that he return to his post, that he was the best man for the job. The _only_ man for the job. They claimed that Lucius had threatened to curse their families if they didn't suspend Dumbledore.

Harry distantly thought that Lucius looked like a blue-eyed white snake with his eyes slitted in fury at Dumbledore. "So — have you stopped the attacks yet?" he sneered. "Have you caught the culprit?"

"We have," said Dumbledore, with a patient smile.

"Well?" said Lucius sharply. "Who is it?"

"The same person as last time, Lucius," said Dumbledore. "But this time, Lord Voldemort was acting through somebody else. By means of an old diary."

"Well, where is it?"

"It's vanished," Dumbledore twinkled. Lucius pulled himself up to full height, looking mighty pleased. Dobby was doing something odd, he widened his green eyes meaningfully and kept jerking his head at his master, after each jerk of his head he punched himself in the nose. Dumbledore went on about how fortunate it was that Harry and Ron had discovered the diary and ventured into the Chamber to save Ginny.

" _Fortunate_ _indeed_ ," Lucius hissed through clenched teeth and Harry suddenly understood. He nodded at Dobby, who backed into a corner, twisting his ears in punishment.

"Don't you want to know how Ginny got hold of that diary, Mr. Malfoy?" said Harry.

Lucius Malfoy rounded on him, "How should I know how the stupid little girl got hold of it?"

"Because you gave it to her, in Flourish and Blotts. You picked up her Transfiguration book and slipped the diary inside it, didn't you?"

He saw Mr. Malfoy's white hands clench and unclench. "Prove it," he hissed.

"Oh, no one will be able to do that," said Dumbledore, smiling at Harry. "Not now that Riddle has vanished from the book, not to mention the disappearance of the book itself. On the other hand, I would advise you, Lucius, not to go giving out any more of Lord Voldemort's old school things. If any more of them find their way into innocent hands, I think Arthur Weasley, for one, will make sure they are traced back to you."

Lucius turned on his heeled boots and kicked Dobby out the door, after a moment Harry followed, calling after them. "Mr. Malfoy! I've got something for you!" Lucius stopped and turned with a sneer and a slimy, sweaty, stinky _sock_ collided with his face. He ripped it off with a snarl and Dobby caught it. "You'll meet the same sticky end as your parents one of these days, Harry Potter," he said softly. "They were meddlesome fools, too. Let's go, Dobby." But Dobby didn't budge.

"Dobby is _free_ ," he whispered in utter wonder. " _Master has given Dobby a sock_ ," he said, louder. Then he cried gleefully, "Master has given Dobby _clothes!_ Dobby is _Free_!"

Lucius snapped, he drew his wand and snarled, " _You've cost me my servant, boy_! _AVADA-_!"

"YOU SHALL NOT HARM _HARRY POTTER_!" Dobby yelled, leaping in the intended curse's path and with a loud bang, Draco's father was flung backward off his feet and rolled down the stairs, arse over teakettle. With another loud bang, Lucius slammed the hall door closed after him.

"Professor, I have another question," Harry said thoughtfully, as he reentered McGonagall's office with Dobby standing loyally by his knee.

"By all means, Harry, ask away."

"What _did_ happen to the diary? I remember seeing feet and hearing voices, girl's voices. But they were gone when I woke up." Dumbledore stroked Fawkes as he waited for Harry's brain to stop spinning. "And Riddle was fighting with someone-someone who wasn't _there_."

Dumbledore twinkled at him, "Sometimes, Harry, it pays to have invisible friends where you least expect them."

Back in their dorm, the girls sat on Leili's bed slowly undressing each other to better inspect wounds inflicted by the not-ghost Riddle. "Owowowow…" Jo moaned as Leili helped her peel off her shirt. If they couldn't sleep, they might as well do something productive.

Leili gently poked and pressed at spots that would certainly become bruises, a charms book open beside her to the chapter on healing spells. " _Tergeo,"_ she cast, siphoning off the blood around various small cuts and then when the blood was gone and she could see, she cast, " _Episky_." Morgan sat in Jo's lap providing a comforting, loudly purring, warm, presence. "Ok, you're good, 'cept for the bruises, can't do anything about those."

"Your turn," Jo said and Leili put her wand on the bedside table while Jo now helped her pull off her own shirt.

"How did we get ourselves into this mess?" Leili lamented.

"Poor life choices," Jo told her as she poked and pressed on bruises that were already beginning to turn colors.

"Oh, is that all?" she chuckled. " _Ow_ ," she said pointedly.

"Sorry; you've got a bump on the back of your head."

"Probably from where I was thrown into the _wall_."

"Yeah, hold still. _Episky!_ " The cut on the bump healed and the bump reduced a little, "You're going to have a headache."

"Curse you, poor life choices!"


	56. Hogwarts Year 4 Chapter 18

One more chapter and then it's off to fifth year! Lots of exciting things happening there. Anyway, RM and I don't own HP. Please, read, enjoy and if you're feeling like brightening a day, leave a review. (Every time you leave a review, an author gets their rainbow) Here we gooooo! Off to Neverland!

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Lucky

May 30th, 1993

Fourth Year

Harry had saved Ginny. Once again, while everyone slept, or tried to sleep, Harry had gone and done something reckless, brave, but reckless. Ginny was safe, everyone was awake and feasting in the Great Hall in celebration. It was an odd sight, everyone sitting on the floor munching on sweets and things in their pajamas at 2 in the morning.

Those petrified were restored and released from the hospital one by one, Hagrid was released from Azkaban, looking only a little worse for the wear and Dumbledore was reinstated as headmaster. The train was no longer coming to take the students home today and everyone could breathe easy for the first time all year. After the early morning feast the girls were called to see Professor Dumbledore, much to their surprise.

"I understand you two tried to help, going so far as to follow Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley into the chamber itself."

"How did you-?" Leili interrupted, they'd been _so_ careful!

"Harry recalled hearing voices and seeing shoes there after the deed." Dumbledore said, blue eyes shining in amusement, "I also understand that Miss Akina performed an advanced bit of charms work."

"I just got lucky," Leili shrugged, "It didn't even work, not really," she thought he meant the Exorcism, though she wasn't sure how he knew she'd done it. Or why he wasn't upset that they'd been in the restricted section of the library. But really, you put two book-loving witches in a library with a locked door and you bet your _boots_ they're going to find out what's behind it!

Actually he was referring to the Disillusionment charm she'd cast so people didn't see two 14 year-old witches hurtling down hallways on a large piece of rubble, though admittedly the rubble was in plain view, but he did also know about the exorcism.

Dumbledore looked dubious, but accepted the answer.

"Very well then, 35 points to you both for what I'm sure was invaluable assistance and an extra ten to you Miss Akina for your 'luck' with a N.E.W.T level charm."

"Thank you, Professor," they chorused. Gryffindor still won the house cup, but it was nice not to be in fourth place anymore.

"Now, off to bed with you, try and get some sleep." The girls were dismissed and they walked back to their dorm and their beds.

Halfway down the hall Dumbledore's words seeped in through Leili's ear, which _must_ be waterlogged from the chamber for it to have taken _this long_ to hear what he'd said, "Wait, _N.E.W.T._ _Level charm_?" she stopped cold.

"Just got that did you?" Jo asked, half smiling, one eyebrow raised.

"I think I've got water in my ears or something…" she tipped her head to the side and gave the spot above one ear a solid _Thump, thump,_ with the heel of her hand. "Where _does_ he get his information?"

"The Sorting Hat. Or Fawkes. Hell, it's probably both." Leili made some noncommittal noise and they kept walking.

"This whole saving the world in the middle of the night thing is going to become a habit, isn't it?" Leili asked as they closed the door to their dormitory behind them and headed for bed.

Jo smiled and shook her head before curling up under her covers, "It looks that way. We've got our work cut out for us. 'Night."

"Goodnight," Leili said into her pillow. And they both slept like the dead.


	57. Hogwarts Year 4 Chapter 19

Ok you guys, this is it! The last chapter of 4th year. Now, I'm holding the next chapter hostage. Ransom: reviews. That all I want, some reviews. In the mean time, RM and I don't own HP. Read and enjoy.

* * *

Egg in our Pajamas

Fourth year

June 1st, 1993

"Professor Lockhart, sir?" Leili approached the _obliviated_ peacock in the hospital wing.

"Oh, Hello! Am I a professor, then?"

"Only _the_ _best_ ," Leili oozed saccharine sweet. Jo coughed to cover the snickering she couldn't help.

"Well, what can I do for you? Autograph? Group photo?"

" _Actually_ , You have this _amazing_ shampoo that I'd _really_ love to use. I, um, I found your recipe and I was hoping that you'd do me the great, _great_ honor-"

"Laying it on with a trowel, aren't you?" Jo coughed. Leili turned with a smile so big it was painful and an annoyed glint in her too wide-open eyes and gave Jo's arm a subtle smack.

She turned back to Lockhart, "-of allowing me to make your shampoo, if you could just have your Occamy Egg supplier send _me_ the eggs I'd be _more than happy_ to create it while you're recovering. I'm a dab hand at potions, I'm sure a shampoo would be no problem. You have standing order for the eggs don't you?"

"My dear girl you _are_ charming, aren't you?" Leili fluttered her lashes and smiled. "But I'm rather afraid I've no idea what you're talking about."

Seeing this track wasn't working, Jo jumped in, "If you'll just autograph this for us, we'd be _ever so grateful_!" she gushed, sliding a piece of paper under his nose.

"Oh! An Autograph! Why didn't you say so? My pleasure, dear ladies, my pleasure!" He scrawled his loopy signature on the proverbial dotted line.

"Thank you so, so much!" Leili fluttered; holding the autograph like it was the dearest thing in the world.

As they were leaving Madam Pomfrey popped her head out of her office, "Did you get what you needed, girls?"

"Piece of cake," they chorused, back to their usual selves. They hurried up to the owlry where Jo rolled up the paper, a letter detailing the change of delivery address and attached it to Artemis' leg. Artemis set off into the afternoon.

The next day they found a beautiful, off-grey, speckled egg the size of a small Emu egg sitting on the nightstand between their beds. After discerning that yes there was in fact a baby Occamy in the egg, Leili scrabbled for 'Fantastic Beasts' while Jo coaxed Spike open. They hadn't fully expected the egg to be unhatched-mostly because they were expecting an infertile egg-and they certainly hadn't expected it to arrive the _next day_.

They spent the rest of the day researching how to hatch Occamy eggs, because no way were they going to make Lockhart's shampoo now-something they had only planned on doing to avoid wasting the egg yolk. They located an empty box, filled it with cushioning charms, created a nest out of an old pair of Jo's pajama bottoms, placed the egg inside and wrapped it in an old pajama shirt of Leili's. It would have to do until they could get an incubator.


	58. Hogwarts Year 5 Chapter 1

Thank you Guest for the lovely review! The review hiatus is not over, this is merely a reprieve. Anyway. Thank you RM for your late-night brain storming last night. JKR still owns HP and its expanding universe, RM and I still own the idea for Neglected and a handful of characters. I hope everyone in Florida and Texas and everywhere else is ok, try to stay dry guys. Enjoy. Whoops! Got a date wrong. My bad!

* * *

Riddle Me This

Late Summer

Before 5th year, 1993

The girls were in Jo's room at her mom's house, Jo was tossing the pilfered diary in her hands.

"So! We know Riddle became Voldemort, but who was Riddle?" Jo said.

"Obviously, a Hogwarts student, judging by the uniform. I don't know how long ago."

"50 years."

"How did you know that?" Leili asked, surprised and puzzled.

"That talk with Aragog," they both shuddered. "Harry asked what killed Myrtle 50 years ago."

"Oh, yeah, I remember that now."

"So Hogwarts student, 50 years ago, T. M. Riddle." They'd found the name embossed on the back cover. "T _blank_ M _blank_ Riddle, Voldemort. …I wonder…maybe it's an anagram?"

Leili scribbled the names on a piece of paper, "You may have a point there, tons of writers anagram their names for their books."

"We're going to have to work this backwards… So let's see, we know his first name starts with 't'," Jo took the pen and turned the paper around to cross out the t, "and we know his middle name starts with 'm'," she scratched out the m. "There's not enough letters."

"Add Lord, that's what he calls himself, _Lord_ Voldemort," Leili practically swallowed the name.

Jo jotted down the title.

"So his name's either Tom or Todd."

"Mm, no, can't be Todd, you need those 'd's for Riddle," Jo crossed out the corresponding letters in Riddle. "We need an 'i'."

"So add one."

Jo did. "Tom M _blank_ Riddle, that leaves one 'r', a 'v', two 'o's, and an 'l'. Rvool? Voolr? Vrool? Loovr? Volo? Lovo? I don't think any of these are names."

"What if… what if it's a sentence? I mean, 'I Lord V' doesn't make much sense, what if it's 'I _am_ Lord V'?"

Jo added the word and tried to scramble it into something that made sense, "Rvoolam, voolarm, marvolo, malorvo?"

"I dunno; they _all_ sound made up to me. Marvolo probably sounds the _least_ made up but it's not a name I know. When we get back to school, we can try finding him in a Slytherin family tree."

"We may not have to," Jo commented, almost flippantly.

"You've got that look on your face again."

"What look?"

Leili did her best to pull the face, half cunning and clever and half 'I didn't do it!'.

"What face is that?" Jo guffawed.

"It the one you get when you're about to do something that you pulled out of a hat. It's the 'I've got a crazy idea' face. So what's the idea?"

"Ask the ghosts."

"The ghosts? The school ghosts? What makes you think they'd help us?"

"Well, they've been around for, basically, ever, they've got to know things. And face it, there's no way we could ask any of the teachers."

"Point there. Dumbledore keeps secrets from Dumbledore; no _way_ he'd help us. Snape is out of the question."

"And we can't ask McGonagall, it'd tip our hand about stalking Harry, Professor Sprout would tell Dumbledore, Professor Flitwick would-"

"Also tell Dumbledore. I think they'd _all_ tell Dumbledore, honestly."

"Right, so that leaves the ghosts," Jo said, her point firmly made.

"But which ghosts would we even ask? The Bloody Baron won't talk to us, being Slytherin House's ghost he's the most likely to know. Nearly Headless Nick is more concerned with joining the headless hunt, I don't even know where we'd find the Grey Lady; she might know, being Ravenclaw's ghost and all."

"Yes, the Lady might know but you're forgetting someone: The _Friar_. He's _our_ ghost! Not only will he probably know, but he'll _probably_ tell us!"

Deadpan, Leili said, "Did you know that he was killed after the Head Priest or somebody got suspicious of his ability to cure peasants of the pox by poking them with a sick?"

Jo blinked, "No. No, I did not."

Suddenly there was a cracking noise in one corner of the room. The girls looked at each other and then at the makeshift incubator that sat in the safe in Jo's wall. They had decided that the ill-used wall-safe was the best place to put the Occamy Egg. It was safe, secluded, well insulated. They looked back at each other and then scrambled to the safe.

"It's hatching!" Leili said with an air of panic.

"I can see that!" Jo retorted.

"Is it supposed to be hatching already?"

"How should I know? The books didn't _say_ how long till hatch-date!"

"Well, what do we do?"

"We're going to need bugs."

"Do you happen to have any?"

"No. No I don't."

The girls looked at each other and then scrambled to their feet, literally tripping over each other in their haste to get into the back yard.

Jo's little sister paused on her way to the kitchen, hearing garbled voices and occasional shrieks from the back yard. She slowly moved to the sliding patio door to peek outside only to have her vision completely eclipsed by Jo's dirt-streaked face and frazzled hair.

"Keep walking," Jo said before slamming the door shut and sprinting back to the far corner of the yard where her best friend Leilani appeared to be… digging?

Jillian decided she'd rather not know.


	59. Hogwarts Year 5 Chapter 2

Can all of my Vegas readers (assuming I have some) give me a shout so I know you're ok?

New update schedule: once a month. Please review (a word, a phrase, a sentence, _anything_ ). Hope you're all ok.

* * *

Attack on the Hogwarts Express

Sept. 1st, 1993

Fifth Year

It was a normal day aboard the Hogwarts express; the girls sat in their compartment with Luna. It was raining outside, but as usual it was nice and toasty inside. Luna was reading her copy of her father's magazine, the Quibbler; Jo and Leili were playing with the small wooden catapult Jo had had brought, launching _Diminuendo_ 'ed chocolate frogs at random, unsuspecting passersby.

All was fun and games until the train came to a screeching halt. When a towering, darkly cloaked and hooded figure opened their compartment door they felt the temperature drop to freezing and all the laughter vanish in the figure's wake.

Jo found herself reliving her parents divorce when she was 6, the dread she felt whenever staying with her father.

Luna found herself reliving the first time someone had called her 'Loony' Lovegood, her own tendencies towards anorexia-a battle she had won only two years earlier and the death of her mother from a spell gone wrong when she was 9. She saw her mother's body lying on the floor, her fingers black from the spell's backfire, her long hair spread across the floor.

Leili relived the day she'd nearly been strangled by Max and the day a fire had spread to the hills behind her elementary school. For her, the air choked with heavy smoke, the sun a burning orange and the hillside charred black from the fire that continued to spread.

The creature hovered there, its hooded head sweeping from one girl to the next; it seemed to _enjoy_ Jo and Luna more than Leilani. Skidding down the hall, Kanani, who would be graduating this year, raced to the rescue of her sister. Drawing her wand she pointed it into the compartment and cast a cheering charm. She over did it. The girls burst out into uncontrollable giggles and started launching chocolate frogs at the thing in the door way, confusing the Dementor which prompted more laughter until a blue-silver wolf came charging down the corridor, chasing away the gloom. Kanani slipped inside and sat down beside her sister, suddenly exhausted.

The threat to happiness removed, the deadening depression started to lift. A short time later a tall man with brown hair and robes that looked shabby-but upon closer inspection appeared to just be well worn in, like a pair of jeans in which the knees are starting to go-walked past. He took a look inside and raised an eyebrow at the hysterical laughter, "I've never seen a response like that to a Dementor attack…" he mentioned.

"Cheering charm went slightly wrong," Kanani explained.

"Ah," the man grinned and with a flick of his wand they calmed, but not until after launching a chocolate frog at him. "Eat these," he said, scooping up the frog and waving it at them, "it'll help." He popped the frog in his mouth as he walked away.

"What's a Dementor?" Jo asked when she stopped giggling and Kanani had left the compartment.

"I don't know," Leili said, still grinning.

"…Can we kill them?" Jo asked,.

Leili frowned, she didn't know, "I'll look it up."


	60. Hogwarts Year 5 Chapter 3

Hope you all had a good Halloween! Have a good Thanksgiving (or whatever your fall holiday might be.) As usual, RM shares writing credit. All terrible jokes are pulled from various places on the internet. See you all next month. Enjoy!

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Boggart Lesson

September 2nd, 3rd & 6th, 1993

Fifth Year

When Jo and Leilani walked into their first class with Professor R. J. Lupin, they walked into a normal classroom, save for the lack of Professor. The other students were milling around, talking amongst themselves, wondering where Lupin was. Only Leili and Jo even bothered to look up. Had everyone else, they would have seen the Professor chewing on a piece of chocolate in the doorway of his upstairs office.

With a grin Jo and Leili waved cheerfully at him. They saw his answering grin and 'well fancy that, I've been spotted' laugh. The girls took their seats in the middle of the room when Lupin finished his chocolate and called attention to himself.

"Good, you're all here. Gather 'round please. Thank you. Now I know you're all 5th years, but I also know that your classes on the subject of defense against the dark arts have been, shall we say, a little thin? So for the first week we are going to recap everything you are supposed to know by now." The first day was boring as they went over how to treat werewolf bites alongside an assortment of counter-spells and curse of the bogies.

The second day was a little better with vampire bats and… iguanas, of all creatures. On the third day Lupin brought them to a closet. It was an ordinary looking closet. They organized into a single file line and he gave them their instructions, "Now when you see whatever comes out of that wardrobe, I want you to very, very clearly say ' _Riddikulus_ ' repeat that for me, no wands just yet."

" _Riddikulus"_ the class chanted back.

"Now before we get started there's something you should know, ' _Ridikulus_ ' works on all shapeshifters except for Animagi, werewolves and, as far as I know, metamorphmagi. It forces them back into their original shape or a shape of your choosing. If you do not think of something amusing for a boggart to become, nothing will happen, it will remain in the shape of your worst fear. That being said, let's get started!"

A Ravenclaw student, Robert Hilliard, was up first. The wardrobe opened and out sailed the Bloody Baron, looking perhaps a touch more terrifying then normal. After a second of hesitation his wand went up and one _Riddikulus_ later the Boggart Baron was wearing a dress. And not just any dress, no, an 18th century dress, complete with wig, corset, and hips so big that when he tried to sail back into the wardrobe he couldn't get through. He literally bounced back into the room, sending everyone into a fit of laughter.

The next kid stepped up, another Ravenclaw, and this time the boggart solidified into a black box around the kid, at first they could hear panicked whimpers before the kid shouted " _Riddikulus!_ " and the box expanded and popped like a great black balloon, before raining flowers on everyone, "Flowers for everyone!" one kid called and everybody laughed.

Leili stepped up and the boggart became a rose strewn coffin with Jo's name engraved into the side. Leili hesitated before forcing herself to remember that this wasn't real, that it was a boggart. She raised her wand, " _Riddikulus!_ " and the hinges of the coffin creaked as the lid lifted and Jo sat up in it coughing.

Boggart Jo looked at Leili and asked, "Hast thou any coffin drops?" Leili snickered quietly with a grimace, it was a truly terrible joke, and the real Jo burst out guffawing. She wound up bent over with tears in her eyes from laughing so hard.

Boggart Jo didn't stop with one joke, no she kept going, Leili had her boggart recite every bad joke she could think of. Jokes like: "Why don't blind people like to skydive? Because it scares the dogs!" and "Why do Bagpipers walk while they play? To get away from the noise!" and "What lies at the bottom of the ocean and twitches? A nervous wreck!" and "What do you get when you cross a snowman and a vampire? Frostbite!"

Not every joke garnered a response but they were all so terrible that those who did react, reacted with laughter and as usual, that laughter was contagious. Soon everyone was laughing and the boggart was defeated. Jo straightened and wiped her eyes saying, "Aaah, I crack myself up!"

Jo was up next and the boggart changed again, this time it became a dozen bodies strewn across the floor.

She stopped laughing.

Among the bodies of the Hufflepuff first years lay the three bodies of Hogwarts' most trouble prone students, Harry, Ron and Hermione; Their deaths, her failure.

Where others would have broken down in tears, Jo got mad. " _Riddikulus!_ " she yelled, and the boggart became the bodies of death eaters that had killed those she'd striven to protect. Jo was darkly amused; she gave the boggart an evil grin and a cackle. Nobody laughed. Everyone who knew her was utterly terrified of this dark amusement in an otherwise cheerful girl.

Leili, who had been waiting a little ways down the line, gave an exasperated sigh and muttered her usual, "What am I going to do with her?"

Lupin looked at Jo, and then at her boggart. He gave it a nod and gently pushed Jo towards Leilani giving the next student a chance at the boggart.

"You're supposed to make it funny, not _disturbing_ ," Leili whispered as they walked to the back of the line.

"It _was_ funny, to me at least."

"You freaked them out!"

"Dead death eaters. Dead, Death… how am I the _only_ one that finds the humor in that?"

"Oh, Jo!" Leili groaned.


	61. Hogwarts Year 5 Chapter 4

Yup! It's that time again, featuring that supersonic speedster: Rocket J. Squirrel, and his Pal: Bullwinkle The Moose and a Host of others. I do not own Harry Potter, or other related characters or expanding universes. I also don't own Rocky and Bullwinkle though I do own two seasons on DVD. Anyway. Enjoy. If you're good I'll see again before Christmas, if not, then I'll see you in January! :)

* * *

Psychotic

September 6th, 1993  
Fifth Year

During dinner Professor Lupin sat next to Professor Sprout and very quietly said, "Pomona, you have a potential problem with two of your students. One has an unhealthy dependency on the other and don't even get me started on the other's obvious psychosis." Pomona looked at him, slightly startled, _her_ students? _Psychotic_? What on earth was he talking about?

"Which two students are these, Remus?"

"Leilani and Jocelyn. Leilani's boggart is Jocelyn dead and Jocelyn's boggart is your first year students dead. The psychotic thing is, instead of turning the boggart into something humorous, she turned it into dead death eaters!" Pomona Sprout nearly choked on her dinner when she tried not to laugh, that sounded like Jocelyn all right!

She said, "I'll handle it Remus, Thank you," and proceeded to gulp down the wine in her goblet.

After dinner Professor Sprout summoned the girls to green house three, where they could have some privacy.

"Girls, I'm afraid you've worked Professor Lupin into quite a worry."

"But we haven't _done_ anything…" Leilani protested.

"He's under the impression that Jo needs psychiatric help, and I wouldn't be surprised if he thinks the same of you, Leilani."

"Psychi—Ohh," Leili said as she figured it out, "This is about our boggarts, isn't it?" Professor Sprout nodded, "Damn," she swore as she sat on one of the tables swinging her feet back and forth. Normally, since she was all of 15, she was averse to swearing but she felt this time it was warranted.

"I don't need to have my head analyzed, Dead death eaters, it's a pun," Jo explained, pulling up a stool, "it was funny."

"He didn't see it that way, he saw it more as you taking revenge for the students they 'killed'." Jo didn't tell her that that was also probably a bit true. "He thinks you have an unhealthy dependence on Jo, Leilani; is that true?" Leili thought about it a moment then said,

"Technically. But it's not _unhealthy_ , I've just known her since I was 9, so yeah I think I'm a little dependent on her. She's my best friend."

"Aww, Leili!" Jo gushed.

Leili shrugged, "It's true."

"So whatcha gonna do 'bout it?" Jo asked, looking at their head of house who shrugged.

"What _can_ I do about it? I could, I guess, refer you both to a therapist…"

"Oh, please no," Leili protested.

"Why not? All they do is try to help."

"The students already have to see therapists whenever something bad happens for post traumatic evals, I think if I had to see someone regularly, my head would explode."

"And you Jocelyn? Do you also feel your head would explode?"

"Nah, I just wouldn't go."

"Well, we wouldn't want _that_ , would we?"

Professor Sprout grinned as the girls chorused, "Definitely not."

"Very well then, off you go, back to your dormitory; don't forget to study, we do have a test next week, whether your heads have exploded or not. Oh, and girls? Try not to make Professor Lupin worry overly much, would you? He's already got quite a bit on his mind these days, poor dear."

"Yes, Professor," they agreed.


	62. Hogwarts Year 5 Chapter 5

Happy Winter Solstice everybody! Merry early Christmas and Happy late Hanukkah! I hope you enjoy the chapter. It's not quite what I had hoped it would be when I set out to write it, but hopefully you'll like it just the same. I still don't own Hp or its expanding universe. See you in the new year!

* * *

The Fat Friar

Early/Mid September 1993

Fifth Year

"You know who else we could ask if Friar doesn't know or won't answer?" Leili said on their way back to their dorm.

"Who?"

"Hagrid."

"I don't think he'd tell us and I'm not Harry, I don't know how to get people to admit things they'd rather not admit."

"With Hagrid, I don't think that takes any special skill. He opens his mouth and then finds he 'should not have told you that'," the thought was meant kindly enough, as both girls had a great deal of respect and affection for Hagrid. After all who else could hatch a baby dragons and Acromantula and almost get away with it?

As the Leili closed the dorm door behind them, Jo pulled out a sack of bugs from her book bag. "Phoebe," she called softly. No one was supposed to know they had an Occamy, tricky since they shared the room with three other girls who could be fairly nosey. "Phoebe, we brought bugs!"

A trill purred out from beneath Leili's bed as Phoebe responded to the promise of snacks. The Occamy slithered out from the hatbox that was her home. As she wound her way over to her humans she grew to fit the available space. She filled the room. "Smaller, Phoebe! Smaller!" Leili yelped as they ducked. Phoebe obligingly shrank and curled up in Leili's hands, stretching her now tiny wings and chirping her hellos.

"Every time, Phoebs? Really? Do we have to go through this _every_ _time_?" Phoebe trilled happily at Jo.

"At least she responds to 'smaller' now." It was a command they'd been trying to teach her since the day she hatched and had nearly destroyed Jo's wall safe.

Later, in the dead of night, they crept into the crypt-like restricted section and pulled down a book on Salazar Slytherin and a roll of parchment they'd tucked away for safekeeping. The Friar joined them and whispered chidings on how they should be a-bed and not a-sneaking. Once properly chastised they asked him what he knew of Tom Marvolo Riddle.

"He was a charming boy," Friar said reluctantly. "He charmed his teachers and his friends and anyone he thought he could use. He charmed Rowena's daughter, made her feel special, something she had missed as a child. She had lived in her mother's shadow and died in it. So when Tom plied her with stories of his own and gave her someone she could relate to, she fell for it. There was something wrong with him... He was charming, but diabolical."

"Do you know who his family is?"

"Well, you've got his ancestor right; he _was_ a descendant of Slytherin. His parents, well, he was an orphan."

"I can't believe Slytherin had kids," Leili said more to herself than Jo or Friar.

"Oh yes, at least one. The Gaunt line can be traced to the founder of the American Wizardry School, an Irish witch named Isolt. Her mother and aunt were Gaunts."

"Oh, I've heard of her! My dad went to her school, Ilvermorny. He wears the cloak closure as a tie pin to fancy dinners."

"His father was a muggle," Jo remembered. "He said something about not wanting to keep his muggle father's name. So he's a junior. Tom Marvolo Riddle _Jr.,_ ".

"Did you say Marvolo?" Friar asked.

"Yeah, we think it might have been his middle name, why?" Leili asked.

"There was a family, they never attended Hogwarts so you won't find them in any of the 'accepted student' parchment rolls, but the father's name was Marvolo Gaunt. He was sent to Azkaban in 1925 or so."

"Gaunt again. So he's _got_ be related to Marvolo Gaunt."

"Through his daughter. The Gaunts did not have Squib children, excepting Isolt, ofcourse," Friar reminded them.

"He's related to two school founders, Slytherin and Isolt, that's interesting. I wonder if he knows."

"He knows about Slytherin at the very least, but past that, who knows."


	63. Hogwarts Year 5 Chapter 6

Happy new year, you guys! I don't own HP or its expanding universe. Enjoy!

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HOWLER

September 25th, 1993

Fifth year

It was mail time and Artemis had just dropped a howler in front of Jo.

"What did you _do_?" another puff asked warily.

"Nothing…? I think?" Jo drawled. "I can't think of anything I've done that would warrant a _Howler_ on my _birthday_."

"Well, go on then, open it," Leili interjected.

"No way!"

"It'll be worse if you don't," someone else pointed out.

" _So_?"

"Alright," Leili shrugged. Truth be told, she knew _exactly_ what was going to happen _._ She'd planned it last year after young Ron Weasley had crashed his dad's flying car into the Whomping Willow at the start of term.

It took a solid minute but the Howler began to emit smoke and shake and pretty soon it had soared to Jo's eye level and exploded.

At a near deafening tone it began to sing, "HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FROM ALL OF US TO YOU! WE WISH IT WAS OUR BIRTHDAY, SO WE COULD PARTY TOO! HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAY ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE! WE WISH IT WAS OUR BIRTHDAY, SO WE COULD PARTY, TOO! WHOO!" Everyone in the great hall had stopped what they were doing and turned to look at the unconventional Howler.

Beside her, Leili was hysterical. Her face was cherry red from laughing so hard while Jo was staring half embarrassed, half amused and half uncomprehending because that was _not_ what she had expected. The Howler grinned at her before pressing a loud, papery smooch to her forehead. "Happy birthday. Love, Mom." The Howler tore itself to shreds before catching fire and leaving little piles of ash behind.

"You should see the look on your face!" Leili laughed, her face buried in her hands. "Happy Birthday, Jo."

"You arranged that? I'm _going_ to kill you," Jo threatened through a laugh.

"It wouldn't have been so bad if you had just opened it like I told you."

"Oh, _sure_ , uh-huh. You want to do that again? Because I'm pretty sure there were some people in _Belgium_ who didn't hear it. How did you manage this, anyway?"

"It's the letter that's enchanted, not the person who writes the letter, so muggles _can_ send them, they just… don't. So last year, after Ron got _his_ howler, I began to wonder if you could send a nice howler and then if muggles could send them. The letter will always be loud but it doesn't have to be angry."

"I'm going to kill you."

"Nah, you like me too much."

"I'll make an exception."

Leili thought nothing of the threat until she glanced at Jo 's face. The look there was enough to send her scuttling from the room with Jo prowling after her.


	64. Hogwarts Year 5 Chapter 7

Since I'm not home next Sunday, I'm giving you this chapter early. This chapter leads into more important chapters so pay attention. I don't own Hp or its expanding universe. Read, enjoy, review.

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Werewolf Discovery

September 30th, 1993

Fifth Year

Jo and Leilani sat down in a pair of ultra comfortable chairs in their common room after dinner one night when a realization tickled Leilani's mind.

"Hey, Jo? What date is it?" Leili asked as she pulled out a moon chart

"…Monday, why?" Jo asked, not looking up from the bit of homework she was chipping away at.

"Date, not day."

"Oh, uhh the 30th. Why?" Jo replied.

"Lupin wasn't in class today."

"Yeah, maybe he's sick."

"Maybe…" Leilani said distractedly as she mused over the moon chart.

"What? What're you thinking?" Jo looked up at her friend, she knew that tone. That tone meant Leili was onto something, or at least she thought she was.

"Tonight is the full moon." She said looking at Jo.

Jo understood where Leili was going immediately, "Werewolf."

"Uh-huh."

"Well, one time doesn't mean anything; it could just be chance."

"You're right, I'm getting ahead of myself."

When Lupin was nowhere to be found on the next two full moons the girls had their answer, Professor R.J. Lupin was a werewolf.

That night Jo broke. She crawled out of her bed and over to Leili. She began pawing at her sleeping friend's arm-she began to suspect they'd been hanging around Morgan too long-until Leili finally opened her eyes. " _Whaaat_?" Leili groaned, suddenly and deeply annoyed as she blinked Jo into focus. "Jo, it's like, three in the morning-"

"I need help," Jo's voice cracked a little.

Leili stopped her grumbling.

"It's driving me insane, I can't take it anymore!" Jo whispered. She was in agony. Leili sat up, threw off the covers and got up. She took Jo's hand and whispered, "C'mon, let's go upstairs."

Jo shuffled along behind her, her hair mussed from tossing and turning and all around not sleeping.

Leili put Jo in one of the big squishy arm chairs and sat across from her, "What's going on?"

"So you know how I get these weird feelings, sometimes? The ones I can't explain?"

"Yeah?" Leili said around a yawn. "Whaabouem?"

"I've got one about Ron Weasley's rat."

"His rat?"

"Yeah. I dunno know why, but I've had it since they were firsties."

"Why are you _just now_ telling me about it?" Leili said with the uncomprehending annoyance she got whenever Jo hid something from her.

Jo looked bashful, "It was nothing! Just a weird little niggle at the back of my neck when I saw the disgusting creature. But then, this year, all month, it's been getting worse."

"Worse _how_?" Leili asked, fully awake now.

"Like, instead of just when the rat is around, it was whenever Ron was near, then whenever Harry was near, _now_ I'm getting this stupid cold sweat whenever I so much as _hear_ them _talking_ about Scabbers and Hermione's cat!"

"That's weird."

"Yeah! I've got to get my hands on that rat and figure out _why_!"

"I'll help you, but seriously, next time, don't wait until it gets this bad. So what do you want to do?"

"I want to sneak into Gryffindor Tower and get my hands on that stupid little rat."

"Mmk, and how exactly do you plan on doing that? Gryffindor has a pretty good security system, what with the password and the talking portrait and all."

"It's late, she'll be asleep, maybe she'll be too groggy to realize we're not Gryffs. And as long as we're not in uniform…"

And that was how the girls found themselves outside Gryffindor's Fat Lady saying, "We forgot the password."

"No password, no entry."

"Please? I just want to crawl back into bed and sleep through the rest of the week," Leili pleaded, she so wasn't kidding.

"Then you shouldn't have gotten out of it," and that was that, the Fat Lady leaned back in her frame, closed her eyes and started snoring.

"Well, that was a bust."

For the next Month the girls began to try every strategy they could think of to get inside Gryffindor Tower. They actually got in once, by borrowing two Gryffindor ties from the laundry and sneaking in with a crowd but Scabbers wasn't there. Several months on, Leili would have to stop Jo from trying to climb down the chimney.


	65. Hogwarts Year 5 Chapter 8

I'm not home much this weekend so you're getting this early. /rm and I were together a few weeks ago and I wish you could see the differences in the story before and after. THIS chapter didn't change any but some future chapters were practically rewritten. It hurt, you're gonna like it. :D Ahem. Anyway. Haven't had a review in a while, it'd be nice if someone was willing. Read and Enjoy.

* * *

Flight of the Fat Lady

October 31st, Halloween 1993

Fifth Year

It was Halloween at Hogwarts and, as always, Hagrid had grown a multitude of gigantic pumpkins. Jo, as usual, carved her pumpkin freestyle and was waiting on Leilani to finish hers. Leili liked to choose the harder, more intricate patterns in the carving books her mom sent every year.

Jo sighed, "Why must you _always_ pick the hard ones?"

"Because the easy ones aren't nearly as cool, nor as much fun!" Leili grinned as she put the final touches on her pumpkin, before turning it to face Jo. "There, what d'you think?" Jo bit back a laugh, Leili had carved a haunted house, complete with bats and turrets she'd had to re-attach using toothpicks and a couple Permanent Sticking Charms.

"One day, we'll find you an easy one." Leili just grinned and shrugged. The girls placed a candle inside each, lit the wicks and sent the pumpkins floating up to mingle among the bats and other pumpkins. The girls headed back to their dorm, picked up Artemis and Morgan and headed out with the rest of the group going to Hogsmeade Village.

They wandered around, poking their heads into Zonko's, Honeydukes-grabbing a large bag _full_ of candy (it was all Jo's idea to get so much candy, though Leili had _no_ problem helping her eat it). They spent a solid three hours reading in Tomes and Scrolls, a fantastic bookshop, before the girls and their pets headed back for the feast.

As always, the feast was a delight but the most excitement came after, when, on the way from the feast, the Gryffindors discovered something most frightening in the hallway outside of their common room.

The Fat Lady had vanished. Her canvas was ripped and torn, shredded in places and she was nowhere to be seen. With no Fat Lady, the Gryffindors were stranded. Peeves cackled overhead.

When Dumbledore asked him if he had witnessed the Fat Lady's flight Peeves cackled some more and responded, "Oh yes, Professorhead, he got very angry when she wouldn't let him, you see. Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black!"

Dumbledore ordered the Fat Lady found and that the Great hall be cleared of tables and furnished instead with warm, squishy purple sleeping bags. He ordered each Head of House instruct his or her Head Boys, Head Girls and Prefects to gather their students and escort them to the Great Hall.

The girls snuggled down into the cushy sleeping bags and then squirmed, wiggled and inch-wormed their way closer to each other so they could whisper without being caught. "What's going on?" Jo asked

"Really bad guy, Sirius Black-the guy all over the news this year-somehow got into the castle while everyone was distracted with the feast. He tried to get into the Gryffindor Common Room and when he couldn't he, I guess, got mad and took a knife to the Fat Lady's portrait. Scared her so bad she's gone missing. I don't know how he got past the Dementors, but he's done it twice now. My parents are going to _completely_ freak when they hear about this."

"But what did he do that got him thrown in Azkaban to begin with?"

"He killed his best friend. Sold him and his family to Voldemort; Harry's family."

"How'd he get in? You can't Apparate in or out, can't have flown in, not with the Dementors posted everywhere, I imagine you might be able to portkey out but not in, and what disguise could possibly allow one to slip into the school undetected by Dementor, teacher, student or ghost?" Jo asked.

"A really clever one?" Leili offered.


	66. Hogwarts Year 5 Chapter 9

Really quickly, I want to thank 'Deaneggsandsam' for putting the 'Knock on Wood' idea out into the world, and RandomMuggle for sending it to me. I don't own HP or the expanding universe. Reviews would be lovely. Ta-ta~

* * *

Hufflepuff vs. Gryffindor

November 6th, 1993  
Fifth year  
-

It was early November and to say it was raining or windy or muddy was a massive understatement. It was so windy that the brooms wouldn't fly straight, the rain so heavy that no one could see more than a few inches in front of their own noses, thunder filled their ears and the clouds were so thick and dark that the only decent light came from flashes of lightning.

Hufflepuff was playing Gryffindor, and while Leili had been backstage with Jo the match had almost been called off due to the unforeseen strength of the rainstorm. But both teams had agreed to give it a go. Leili and Jo had both knocked on the nearest wooden thing and chimed, "knock on wood".

A second later the Gryffindor beaters had called, "Knock on Wood!" and promptly walloped their captain. The girls laughed and Leili clapped because it was the last thing she had expected. Fred grinned at her and she grinned back, wiping away the few tears that had escaped as she laughed. Thus began a new Gryffindor tradition.

Now in the air, the beaters tried to be careful about where they hit the Bludgers, a task made nearly impossible when no one could tell where anyone was flying. It was really no surprise then, that Harry narrowly escaped a Bludger, twice.

When Gryffindor was up by 50 points, Wood called a time out. When the players remounted their brooms, Leili drew her wand and with a whip-like flick and a carefully uttered _"Lumos Maxima"_ she threw a ball of bright white light up against the clouds. She didn't know why no one had thought of it sooner and then the teams were up again both Harry and Cedric were desperate to catch the snitch and end the game. The wind was so high that mud was splattering onto fliers, pretty soon no one could tell who was on whose side any more.

As Leili began to recast Lumos after it had faded, a forked spike of lightning lit the sky and Harry saw something on the ground. As Harry stared, Cedric spotted the Snitch. He zoomed after it and Harry, snapped out of his daze by Wood shouting at him, turned and followed. They were nearly neck and tail when suddenly the world fell silent and something colder than the wind and rain swept over the field. Harry felt as though he were chest deep in freezing water, lances of pain shot through him and he looked down into the hundred face-less faces of the Dementors.

If it hadn't been for the swift actions of Professor Dumbledore, Harry would have broken probably every bone in his body when he fell from his broom. Instead, his descent was magically slowed and when he hit, he hit mud softened by a cushioning charm.

When Harry came to about a half hour later he was greeted by six worried faces and the news that not only had they lost, but also that his Nimbus had hit the Whomping Willow and had been reduced to little more than firewood and splinters.

It was a victory for Hufflepuff that no one felt good about. Cedric tried to arrange a rematch but Wood- in a hollow, dead voice that would persist for a week- insisted that Hufflepuff had won fair and square. Nobody celebrated that weekend, except maybe Slytherin who knew that unless Ravenclaw beat Hufflepuff, they would be playing the team considered by most to be a pushover, an easy victory.

Of course, you would think that the Slytherins had learned by now not to provoke the Hufflepuffs, after all, badgers have teeth. Sadly-for the Slytherins-this was not the case.


	67. Hogwarts Year 5 Chapter 10

Hello again, I still don't own HP or its expanding universe, I can't wait for FB 2. Read, review, enjoy.

* * *

Shenanigans with Spike

November 1993

Fifth Year

Ron and Hermione were walking Harry to the first Quidditch practice since Hufflepuff had won the last match when a lone Dementor floated over head with a growling Monster Book of Monsters clinging to the edge of its cloak, "What the…?" Harry asked as they joined the team.

"Hmm? Oh that's just Spike. The Hufflepuffs are weird," Angelina said as the thump, thump of the book hitting the Quidditch ring the Dementor had floated through resonated throughout the field.

Fred and George joined the group of four, "Weird?" George said.

"No," they agreed.

"The Hufflepuffs are _awesome,_ " Fred said, identical grins etched onto both boys faces.

"Hufflepuffs?" Harry asked in wonder.

"They're scary, brilliant though!" Fred said cheerfully.

"Never mess with a Hufflepuff, mate," George warned.

"Well, that poses more questions then it answers…" Hermione said before a whistle was heard and Spike lifted the corners of its cover, like ears. Then there were two short whistles and the book released the Dementor and, making use of its cover, _glided_ through the air, coming to land with a soft thump on the grass before scuttling off.

The Fred and George smiled at each other when they noticed the shock and utter confusion on the trio's faces. "Hufflepuffs, Georgie, Hufflepuffs."

"You said it, Freddie."

Far away at Hagrid's hut, Jo scooped Spike up off the grass and held him in her arms like she held Morgan.

"Hullo Hagrid," a male voice said inside.

"Well, Hullo Mr. Scamander! What're yeh doin' here?"

"We asked him, Hagrid. Hello, Mr. Scamander," Jo said from the doorway. Leili waved to him from beside/behind her.

"Your letter said something about an Occamy?" he said, not looking at them quite straight.

"This is Phoebe," Leili said indicating the hat-box in her arms. "Our last Defense teacher used Occamy yolks in his shampoo and at the end of the year, we managed to procure an egg. I needed the shell for a potion but we didn't expect for her to still be inside. She hatched in July. We can't take care of her properly and Professor Sprout-our Head of House-recommended we talk to you."

Newt glanced sideways at the two young witches in front of him. Black and yellow scarves draped across their shoulders, a badger on their robes, Hufflepuffs. His house. He watched as the shorter of the two carefully lifted the lid of the hatbox while the taller stroked the Monster Book of Monsters in her arms as though it were a cat. They were peculiar. He took a step forward as Leili opened the box and popped her lips at the young Occamy to get her attention.

Jo watched Newt carefully, his hair was still red and his eyes still sparkled and his aged hands were steady as they reached into the box and carefully lifted Phoebe out. "Hullo," he whispered, looking her over. She looked good, well-groomed and healthy, not a scale out of place or a single feather broken. "How old is she?"

"Um," Leili blinked, she was sure she'd said it but suddenly, she couldn't think of it. It happened sometimes when she wasn't expecting the question.

"July," Jo supplied.

"Right!" Leili eyes widened as she remembered. "Right, she hatched in July." She shook her head to clear it.

Phoebe wound gently around his wrists, spreading her wings out, feather by feather. "Where have you been keeping her?"

"In the hatbox," Leili said with a twinge of embarrassment. She'd never dream of keeping any other animal in a _hatbox_ but Phoebe was an Occamy; she could change size to fit the box. But still.

Jo narrowed her eyes at Newt, daring him to say something. They were low on resources and were trying to keep Phoebe as secret as possible, but instead of deriding the girls, Newt ran the back of a finger under the little Occamy's chin. "What were your plans for her?"

"Yeah, that's where you come in," Jo said. "We can't keep keeping her in a _hatbox_ under our beds, she _deserves_ a better home. So we were hoping you'd take her."

He held the Occamy up to eye level and just instantly began to ignore the humans in the room, "Of course I'll take you, you little beauty. You'll like it in my suitcase, it's much nicer than that hatbox," He began walking out of the room still talking to Phoebe.

The girls watched him go dazed and a little confused. "Well, I guess that settles that, then," Jo said, watching the pair of them go.

Hagrid chuckled, "She'll be fine with 'im. He'll take righ' good care of 'er."

"Oh sure, no not worried about that. It was just…"

"Abrupt."

"Yeah, I'm going to miss her," Leili said, then quietly called, "Maybe we could arrange some visitations or something?" She wasn't trying to be heard.

Jo found the bright side, "Well, at least we won't have to go hunt down bugs anymore!"


	68. Hogwarts Year 5 Chapter 11

For any American readers: Happy Memorial Day! I still lay no claim to JKR's work. Read and Enjoy.

* * *

Dear House-Elves

December 16th, 1994

Fifth year

Three weeks ago Jo and Leili had convinced Luna to buy them two S.P.E.W badges from Hermione. Today she had brought them news from Ginny about how the house-elves had stopped cleaning the tower due to Hermione's knitting.

"They've stopped cleaning because she knits?" Leili chuckled, "Why?"

"She's been trying to set them free with knitted hats and scarves hidden around the tower," Luna explained.

"Clever Clogs," Jo snorted.

"It was very thoughtful of her," Luna said.

"'Twas; 'twas just thought without research," Leili mumbled, her hand over her eyes in mild embarrasment.

"How'd they get here, anyway?" Jo asked. The house-elves were interesting little beasties, but she didn't interact with them much; they seemed to operate on invisibility.

"They've been here since the founding of the castle," Luna said. "Helga Hufflepuff let them in and gave them good work conditions. It's considered to be the best decision she could have made at the time."

"D'you know if the house-elves like sweets?" Jo asked Luna. If any one would know, it would be her.

"I believe so."

Jo turned in her seat on the bench and poked Leili in the arm. Repeatedly. "Hey, heyheyhey, I have an idea. D'you have some parchment I could use?"

Leili turned and rummaged in her bag. She pulled out a self-inking quill she'd bought for just such occasions. Handing it to Jo, she continued rustling in her bag, "How big d'you need?"

"Couple inches. Regular length would be fine."

With a triumphant flourish, Leili pulled out a slightly shorter-than-standard piece and handed it over.

"Thank _you_!"

"No biggie. I've really got to clean out my bag. How do I ever _find_ anything in here?" Leili murmured mostly to herself.

"Talent," Jo replied smartly as she scribbled out a letter to the house-elves. "Dear House-Elves who tend to _blank_ House. Please mark your favourite sweets with a tick-mark. Please ensure that every elf makes a mark next to his or her favorite treat. This survey had been to sate the curiousity of the Ravenclaws, thank you very much for your co-operation. Sincerely, the Ravenclaws."

Jo spun the paper around for Luna to read. "You've forgotten the house," Luna said matter-of-factly.

"No, I haven't. I'm not done yet," Jo grinned. She reached out her wand and flicked it at the parchment, _Geminio_." In almost the space of a blink, the parchment had shuddered and duplicated itself three times. " _Finite._ "

"Oooh, I gotcha. Now all you have to do is write in the house names, clever!" Leili said when she realized what Jo had done.

"Exactly!" Jo said, feeling a bit proud of herself for thinking of it before Leili. She proceeded to scribble in the four house names and gave two copies to Luna to place in the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor Towers. She kept two, one to put in Hufflepuff's basement and the other to give to Marcus to put in Slytherin's dungeon.

"What made you think of this?" Leili asked.

"Well, if giving them clothes is insulting to them, then so will giving them money, so why not give them something that shows we appreciate them while at the same time not interfering with the way they work? Thus! Sweets!"

"And the Gemino spell?"

"I _do_ pay attention in Charms, you know," Jo said, feigning dramatic affront.

"Did _I_ say you didn't?" Leili asked in a tone of 'who me? _Never!_ "

On the morning of the 18th, the girls collected the surveys from Luna and Marcus and were quite pleased to see several tickmarks beside the large-quantity candies, like Bertie-Botts, Nut Brittle, Droobles, Pepper Imps, Exploding Bon-Bons and more. It was going to be an expensive candy weekend, but if the house-elves liked it, then the girls wouldn't complain too much.

When they were done shopping at Honeydukes the girls packed up the candies in four baggies, one for each house. They made sure a bag made it into each house's common room by way of Luna, who gave a bag to Ginny and Marcus.


	69. Hogwarts Year 5 Chapter 12

A/N: Nothing to say here. I don't own anything. Looking forward to the new Beasts movie. Enjoy.

* * *

Auror Investigation

Early December, 1993  
Fifth Year  
-

"Leili! Lei-li!" a first year said, trying to get Leilani's attention,

"What-y?"

"The ministry sent an Auror to investigate the Dementor thing!"

"What _dementor thing_?"

"The dementor thing! You know!"

"No, no I really don't."

"Can you pull your head out of your cauldron for 5 minutes and pay attention to me?!"

"Oi, don't get snippy with me, kiddo. If I explode this cauldron, I'm blaming you. Here, mash these." She handed the girl the mortar and pestle and turned back to her cauldron, adjusting the heat. Taking the bowl back from the firstie, she turned off the heat. "Stand back," she said and upended the bowl over the cauldron; there was a 'poof!' and a cloud of steam, or possibly smoke, rose from the cauldron. Leili waved her hand over the cauldron to try and disperse the cloud. "Well, that went well. Now, you wanted to talk to me?"

"The ministry has sent an Auror to investigate the dementor thing." She repeated, enunciating each word.

"Yes, you said that. Would you explain? What dementor thing? The fact that they're invading school grounds every other week?"

"More like why they're acting weird, not that I know how anyone could tell that they were behaving oddly, they're _dementors_."

"You mean Spike." Leili said with a wry grin, "Jo should be here for this, he's her book." Leili stood and went to the door, "Jo! Come hither! It's about Spike," she called. Jo came, Spike following close at her heels.

"Who's shoe has he eaten this time?"

"No one's, but the ministry has apparently started an investigation into the odd behaviors of their dementors."

"So? No one's gonna believe a _book_ is attacking the dementors, it's silly."

"But it's true!" the 11 year old protested.

"You know that, and I know that and she knows that, but that doesn't mean _they_ have to know that." Leili said with a grin as she ladled potion into a bottle.

So it went that the Ministry's Dementor investigating Auror came to the school and questioned the students. He gathered the students in their houses and questioned them briefly there, telling them to come to him should they think of anything. House by house was questioned, "Does anyone know anything about the odd behavior of the Dementors?"

Gyrffindor:

"They're plaguing the school, if that's what you mean," George said.

"Ah, no, no that's not what I meant."

"More like they're being chased away by something?" Colin Creevey suggested.

"Who said anything about that?" The Auror asked.

"Well, if you won't tell us what defines 'odd Dementor behavior' then how are we to know if we've noticed anything?" Fred asked.

"Trust me, you'd know," the Auror said cryptically before going to the next house on the list.

Ravenclaw:

"Did you know that Dementors are possibly related to Lethifolds and wraiths?" one girl asked.

"Uh, no, now about the question…"

"How about that they 'see' by sensing emotions?" an older boy chimed in.

"Yes, but about the-"

"Did you know that they are the only beings that can drain witches and wizards of their powers?" another boy said.

"Now that is a _myth_ , it has never been proven!"

"Funny how they've been posted around a school full of young witches and wizards; isn't it?" Luna said.

Slytherin:

"Did somebody hear something?" Draco asked.

"Mm, no, don't think so Draco," Pansy said.

"Why, did _you_ hear something Draco?" Marcus asked with a smug grin, it wasn't often they got to make fun of outsiders.

"I suppose not," the Auror rolled his eyes and threw his hands in the air before going to the last house on the list, Hufflepuff.

At Hufflepuff now, once again the same routine; he asked the same boring questions, "Does anyone know anything about the odd behavior of the Dementors?" however, unlike at the other houses, this time he was met with stifled laughter. "What's funny? Do we know something in here?"

"They're _Dementors,_ your question is too broad," Wayne Hopkins told him.

"None of the other houses laughed,"

"Well, they either have less of a sense of humor, or they're just more polite," Leilani told him.

"Gryffindor mockingly tried to dig more information out of me, Ravenclaw tried to educate me on the subject of Dementors and Slytherin pretended I was invisible."

"Yeah, that sounds like them," Jo grinned, "Sorry guy, we don't know anything about Dementor oddities."

"Well, where do you suggest I look next?"

Jo and Leili exchanged grins before looking back at the Auror and saying,

"Ravenclaw."


	70. Hogwarts Year 5 Chapter 13

This was a fun one to think up, hope you all enjoy it too. Still don't own anything, still excited for the new Beasts movie.

* * *

A Date

March 12th, 1994  
Fifth Year

Hufflepuff vs. Slytherin. Jo twirled her bat around her hand as the two teams waited to be released. Captain Flint was smirking at her. She gave him a dark grin back. She couldn't wait to flatten him. Even if Hufflepuff lost the match, which they usually did, she always enjoyed flying circles around him. Madam Hooch gave a blast on her whistle and they pushed off.

Madam Hooch kicked open the chest, three balls soared out and she threw the Quaffle into the air beginning the game.

"That's Flint with the Quaffle," Jordan said into the speaker, "Rotten start for Hufflepuff. Oh but Hufflepuff has taken possession! Chaser Malcolm Preece dodges a bludger as he makes his way to the rings, nice move there, Malcolm! He shoots! He Scores! 10 points for Hufflepuff!"

Jo whacked away a Bludger mid-happy dance. Slytherin took possession of the Quaffle and their beaters slammed a Bludger near her seeker, she dove in front of Cedric and redirected it towards Captain Flint, "Keep your players bats away from my seeker!" she shouted. Captain Flint's answering grin gleamed as he shot forward. He zoomed past her, leaving their teams to duke it out behind him, before wheeling around and coming up alongside her. He slammed into her side and Lee's commentary hyper focused on them.

"Flint rams into Montgomery! She drops away but he's close behind!"

"What _are_ you doing?" She asked him when he once again glued himself to her side.

"Go out with me," he said, his voice a growl in her ear.

She laughed at him, "Why the hell should I? You're the _opposition_!"

"Free Food."

She glared at him, "Have you been talking to Leilani?" Now _he_ laughed. "I'm not going out with you, bub!"

Flint grinned at her and stayed glued to her side, swerve for swerve, dodge for dodge.

"Flint isn't leaving her alone! Slytherin is up by twenty points; Montgomery can't use her bat to defend her team, is this some new tactic?"

"Tell you what, _Captain_ , if _we_ win this match fair and square, I'll go out with you. If you cheat, or let us win, I will hunt you down and Leili will make you regret it. Deal?"

Marcus stuck out his gloved hand, "Deal." They shook. He flew off and barked orders to his own team.

"Capitan Flint and Beater Montgomery seem to have struck some kind of accord! Is this the end of the game?"

Jo grinned as she settled low on her broom, one hand on the stick, the other on her bat. " _RAMP IT UP, 'PUFFS_!" she barked over the wind in her ears. She wasn't Captain, but they listened to her like she was, they trained like she was, they responded to her order like she was. The Puffs kicked it into high gear; they put on a show and they kicked some Slytherin butt.

"Look at the Hufflepuffs go! They've stepped it up! There's Montgomery beating away the Bludgers, Flint has the Quaffle-But Malcolm takes it! Hufflepuff is in possession, they're neck and neck. Flint rams the Hufflepuff Chaser! Malcolm loses the Quaffle! He dives but Flint takes it back!"

Jo punted the Bludger to the other beater who slammed the ball into the side of Flint's head. When he looked around for the offending beater Jo zoomed past, "C'mon, follow me. Followfollowfollow, c'mon..." she chanted under her breath.

He took the bait.

Malcolm recaptured the Quaffle and the Hufflepuff stands erupted in cheers. Jordan cried out, "I don't believe it! Captain Flint won't leave Montgomery alone and she's using it to her advantage! It was a nice save by Malcolm and another ten points for Hufflepuff! If they can get the Snitch before Slytherin they have a chance at winning this!"

Keeper Fleet was circling the posts while Seeker/Captain Diggory hovered out of the way, waiting for the Snitch to show itself.

"The Slytherins have taken possession of the Quaffle and the Hufflepuffs are creating one hell of an obstacle course. If Montague or Warrington want to get the Quaffle through those goals, they're going to have to go through the Hufflepuffs first! Good luck guys! I wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of that team!"

They tried. But the maze to the posts went something like this, Jo's fellow Beater at the start let them in but beat a Bludger in after them, it sent them spinning into the Chasers who took the Quaffle and passed it back and forth like a great game of monkey in the middle. One chaser dropped out leaving the other two players to keep the Slytherin boys busy while they snuck over and scored a goal past the Slytherin Keeper who was too busy watching Montague and Warrington get their butts kicked.

"Another 10 points for Hufflepuff! And Diggory has seen something! He's found the Snitch!" Jo's fellow Beater left her to help defend the goals so he could follow Cedric and beat off any Bludgers going his way. Also to beat any Bludgers towards Malfoy who was racing Cedric to the little gold ball. "Seeker Malfoy has also seen the Snitch!" The two seekers spiraled through the air, like two sides of a bullet, each with a hand outstretched. Yellow and green blurred together and then fingers closed around the ball and the stands erupted in cheers and jeers.

"I don't believe it! He's caught it! He's caught the Snitch! Hufflepuff wins the game!"

Marcus and Jo landed and she looked at him, glowing in the light of victory. "Where and when?"

"Next Hogsmeade Weekend, The Three Broomsticks. Leave your friend at home."

"June 10th. Leili has better things to do than babysit you, don't worry," she gave him a smirk and walked off, putting just a little more swing in her hips than normal-just a little.


	71. Hogwarts Year 5 Chapter 14

Still don't own anything. I know 5th year has been on the uneventful side, but we get to the action in a couple more chapters and then we have 6th year which I've had a lot of fun writing. Anywho, enjoy!

* * *

Faith

Early April, 1994  
Fifth Year

Two years of attempts and so far, nothing, no sign or glimmer of an animal form for either Jo or Leilani. This year was feeling particularly crowded, between the escape of murderer Sirius Black from Azkaban and their 5th year O.W.L exams and crammed in between, their attempts to become Animagi.

The girls knew going in that this was not an instant gratification goal, but, at times their patience wore thin and they didn't much feel like the patient Hufflepuffs, unafraid of toil, of the sorting hat's song.

"Professor McGonagall?" Leili asked one day after class, "I was reading about Animagi over the summer and in my studying for the O.W.L's, I wondered what exactly one would have to do to become an animagus?"

"Purely hypothetical, correct?" Leili nodded. "Well, it's a very long process and one needs a certain level of skill at Transfiguration as becoming an Animagus is a kind of self-Transfiguration. This is way beyond the Ordinary Wizarding Level, of course."

"Right, of course. I was studying and going through my text when I saw a page on Animagi and I was just wondering. Can I ask, what it would take for someone with my skill level at Transfiguration to become an Animagus? Again, pure curiosity."

"A person would have to work very hard and improve his or her skill level at transfiguration to successfully complete living Transfigurations. If this were something you were interested in, I could offer you extra lessons. After you take and pass your Transfiguration O.W.L with at least an Exceeds Expectations, and if you were to continue taking and doing well in NEWT Level Transfiguration, of course," Professor McGonagall said. She was torn between making her disapproval at Leilani trying to become an Animagus on her own known, especially with the O.W.L's so close, and pleasure at the girl's interest in such a difficult skill.

Leilani grinned, "Yes, Professor, Thank you, Professor!" She turned and walked very quickly out of the classroom before running down the hall to catch up to Jo. "I need you to teach me everything you know about Transfiguration!" she panted.

"What did you do?" Jo asked warily, Leili's answering grin made Jo think that she must've done something very clever indeed.

"I asked Professor McGonagall what a person would have to do to get her to teach them to become an Animagus. Well, basically anyway, it took a bit more finesse than that but essentially I asked for private Animagus tutoring."

"Oh my god, what did she say?"

"Pass the O.W.L's with an Exceeds Expectations or better and continue into the NEWT level class and do well in it and then extra lessons with her specifically for this. So, I need to know what you know about transfiguration. I'll teach you anything you want in return," Leili bargained.

"Potions, and I'm not sure how to teach you _5 years_ of Transfiguration in _two_ _months_ …"

"I have faith in you," Leili told her.


	72. Hogwarts Year 5 Chapter 15

I...HAVE...A... **NIBLING**! I'm so excited, and in honor of the birth, I'm giving you a new chapter. Hope you like it!

All rights retained by those who own them.

* * *

Career Day

April 8th, 1994

5th year

Leilani slipped into Greenhouse 3 and took up a stool across from Professor Sprout. She was nervous, not that there was any reason to _be_ nervous; after all it wasn't like this meeting decided what she was going to do with the rest of her life or anything... except, well, it kind of did.

"Well Leilani, this meeting is to talk over any career ideas you might have, and to help you decide which subjects you should continue into sixth and seventh years," Professor Sprout said, plunking a bowl of Screechsnap seeds in front of Leili. "Go ahead and plant these if you're nervous. Sometimes it helps to work and talk, I find. Now, have you had any thoughts about what you would like to do after you leave Hogwarts?"

"Um," she said, as she gently planted the little red seeds. Professor Sprout said nothing, merely continued to harvest seeds and wait for Leili to answer. "Well, there are two things I've sort've been thinking about. One of them is to open a tutoring business for Hogwarts kids where they can come and get a little help with their homework or help studying for tests. I thought that might be kinda fun."

"You wouldn't want to be a teacher?" Professor Sprout asked.

"Not really, plus...I don't really think I'm all that...qualified," Leili replied, her voice dropping as she neared the end of the sentence.

"I think you'd make a wonderful teacher, Leilani." Leili shrugged, the praise was nice but she didn't feel she really deserved it. "And what was your other idea?"

Leili took a deep breath and said very quietly and very quickly, "IthinkI'dliketogointowandcraft."

Professor Sprout blinked as she tried to work out what Leili had just said. "...You'd like to go into wandcraft?" Leili nodded. "That's a _wonderful_ idea, dear."

"But see, I don't know that much about it and I'm really finicky about things like this. I mean, two years ago I had my heart set on becoming a dolphin trainer! But… I really like the looks on kids faces when their wand chooses them, especially the muggleborns, it's just like this whole thing suddenly becomes real and amazing and _brilliant_ and I really like _wands,_ I mean you have a stick and a bit of dragon or unicorn or phoenix or whatever and you put them together and they do magic. I think that's really kind of amazing."

Leili had unconsciously stopped planting by now and was using her hands to emphasize as she talked, which she did fairly rapidly and as a result she had also stopped breathing regularly.

"But I'd also like to do the tutoring business thing because the most business a wand maker gets is going to be around September when all the kids come in to buy their wands and while the rest of the year will see some people coming in because of a broken or dying wand I can't imagine it'll be that much or that often. But with the tutoring business I can help the kids here figure out how to enjoy subjects like potions or charms or Herbology-Divination is out though, I _do not_ understand one _tea leaf_ of divination-and I think that would be kinda fun."

"You've put quite a lot of thought into this, haven't you?"

Leili shrugged, "I'm a researcher. Plus, it's interesting."

"Well, for wandcraft you'll need top marks in Care of Magical creatures, Charms, Herbology-to teach you how to discern magical plants from non, of course-you'll need a proficiency in Transfiguration, you'll benefit from Alchemy, they go into the transmutation of substances, and a Magical theory class. You may also want to consider a drawing class."

"Drawing? Why?"

"To help you create the wand's appearance, of course."

"Oh, yeah, that makes sense."

"You'll also need an apprenticeship with a wandmaker. It usually lasts about a year but you may find that your mentor has more to teach you than can be taught in a year."

"I don't suppose Ollivander would take me," Leili said, half hoping, half scoffing.

"It's very unlikely, but it could be possible; _if_ you impress him. He doesn't have any children of his own you know; he may be looking for someone to take over the business when he retires."

"I'll talk to him."

Jo was next and the conversation started very much the same way, with a bowl of screechsnap seeds and Professor Sprout's patient ear.

"I want to help people," Jo said after a moment. Her hands were in the bowl but she wasn't planting the seeds, just running her fingers through them. "But I'm also really interested in Magizoology, I'd like to help animals, too. …I don't suppose there's a job where I can do both?"

"Well, there _are_ Aurors who dabble in specialized branches of Magizoology, it's not common but it has happened. Do you have a favorite creature?"

Jo sat in thought a long time, "Do I have to pick _one_?" she asked eventually.

"No, you can go into a more generalized branch, if you want."

Jo was quiet again, while Professor Sprout dug up the recommended class list. Then, "Bowtruckles. Wild Bowtruckles are vicious little beasties; I like that. But I think I want to do more general Magizoology, I'd like to work with all magical animals, not just Bowtruckles."

"Alright then, for a career in the Auror Magizoology department, you'll need "Exceeds Expectations" or better in Care of Magical Creatures, Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts and Herbology. It's rather the same as regular Auror classes, the real difference will lie in how they train you when you've been accepted. This will not be easy, you understand? The Auror department takes only the best, those working with beasts even more so."

"I can do it."

"That's the spirit! You'll share some classes with Leilani, which I'm sure you'll both appreciate; no one likes to tread difficult paths alone."

Dismissed, Jo hurried back to the common room to compare schedules and notes with Leili. They were pleased to see they'd be sharing five classes, since Jo decided to also take a drawing class, to help her draw maps and really visualize things, a good idea for both Auror and Magizooloist training.


	73. Hogwarts Year 5 Chapter 16

This ones a shorty, but I'll give you another for Halloween.

I don't own anything

* * *

Earplugs

Mid-May 1994  
Fifth Year

A crying first year girl shook Jo's shoulder frantically; Jo peeled her eyes open, "Hey… What's up?" Lighting flashed and thunder exploded outside and the girl buried her face in Jo's sheets.

"You afraid of thunderstorms?"

The 11 year old nodded.

"Alright, c'mon, let's get you back in bed," Jo whispered as she climbed out of bed and headed for her trunk. Opening it, she reached inside and pulled out what any Muggle-born would recognize as a pair of earplugs and a sleep mask.

"Jo? What's up?" Leili asked tiredly.

"It's nothing. I've got this one, go back to sleep," Jo took the girl back to her dormitory and her own bed. Once settled, Jo put the brightly colored pieces of foam in the girl's ears and slipped the mask over her small face. She knelt by the bed and stroked the girl's hair until she fell asleep.

It was not the first time a younger Hufflepuff had sought out Jo or Leilani in the middle of the night, nor would it be the last time either girl would fall asleep at their charge's bedside.


	74. Hogwarts Year 5 Chapter 17

Rat

June 5th, 1994  
Fifth Year

"I smell a rat," were the first words out of Jo's mouth when they walked into their Common room.

Leili, in all seriousness replied, "That's because, Jo, it _is_ a rat…" she gestured to Scabbers, dangling from Artemis' beak by his tail and squeaking madly. When Artemis dropped the rat, gold-eyed Morgan slammed her paw down on his tail when he tried to escape.

Jo rolled her eyes, "No, no, it's a proverbial rat."

Leili grinned and asked, "You sure? 'Cause _that_ is a very literal rat, right there."

Jo glowered at her before asking, "Isn't there some spell you can use? C'mon _Charm Queen_ …"

"Jo! You know as much as I do about charms!" She protested, but anyone could see that the epithet pleased her.

"Somehow, I very much doubt that. So, _is_ there something you can use?"

"I guess… there's 'Homenum Revelio' but it'll only work if there's a masked human presence," Leili sighed, drawing her wand.

"Great, try it."

Leili cast the charm and if you looked closely you could have seen the air around Scabbers ripple like a stone skipping on a lake. "Jo," she started slowly, "do you remember the spell that idiot of a professor said could cure a werewolf?"

Jo slowly drew her wand, "Yeah. _Homorphus_!" Jo cast. A smart rap of her wand on the rat, transformed him into a very ugly man. He shuddered and sniveled and shivered, making weird noises all the while.

"Well, it looks like you were right," Leili said, brandishing her wand at the no longer rat. "Who are you?" she demanded, both Morgan and Artemis poised to attack.

"P-P-P-Peter P-Pett-tt-igrew." He wailed, flinching from her wand, "P-please! I'm Ron's rat! I'm a good pet! Please don't h-hurt me-he-he-he!" he cried.

"What is an _animagus_ doing pretending to be a 13 year old's pet?" Leili asked the short, fat, blading little man, before she started whispering his name to herself, over and over.

"Whaddya think? Should we take the rat that isn't to Dumbledore?" Jo asked.

Finally, the reason for the name's familiarity dawned on her. "No, I think we should feed the rat to a wolf," Leili answered darkly, her eyes narrowed at the rat-man.

Pettigrew shuddered again and wailed harder. Jo conjured up a cage, opened the bottom and stood, poised while Leilani traced a shield shape with her wand, canceling all enchantments with a simple _finite incantatem._ The second the rat was a rat again Jo slammed the cage down on top of him before he had a chance to run away. Very carefully, she slid the cage off the table, while lifting the bottom so that she could close it with a _snick_ without Peter/Scabbers escaping.

Cage in hand the girls made their way to professor Lupin's office where Jo plunked the cage on his desk and asked, "Lose something?"

"Jocelyn! Leilani! Really!" Lupin exclaimed. He knew the girls were a tad unbalanced but this was extreme, even for them.

"The rat is an animagus. Says his name is Peter Pettigrew. Wanna do something 'bout it?" Leili asked.

Professor Lupin looked at her in shock.

"I've heard stories, ok? The night V-" Leili sighed, 13 years later and she _still_ had a problem saying the name. She could handle hearing it, but saying it _felt_ wrong, " _Voldemort_ vanished Sirius Black went crazy and killed a whole bunch of people including his friend, Peter Pettigrew. Imagine _my_ surprise when Ron's rat Scabbers-who is _lucky_ he hasn't been eaten by my cat or Jo's owl yet-turns out to be an animagus calling himself Peter Pettigrew."

"Harry mentioned something about seeing Pettigrew on the map…" Lupin started.

"Map? What map?" Jo asked, watching Lupin closely, there was a look on his face that bugged her. He seemed…sad. Maybe even a bit heartbroken.

"Never mind that. What do we do about _him_?" Leili jabbed a finger at the rat that both was and wasn't.

"I'll take him to Dumbledore in the morning, we'll take it from there." A series of squeaks emanated from the cage. "...How did you know that he was not your normal pet rat?"

"We didn't. Or well, _I_ didn't. Jo thought something was wrong with him. I don't know how. She thought it was unfathomably creepy for him to be pretending to be a thirteen year old's pet and sleeping in his room and so we ventured to stop him." Leili explained.

Lupin looked to Jo who was looking like she'd rather be anywhere else.

He waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Finally she huffed an annoyed breath and said, "I get these feelings sometimes. Vibes or whatever. And they don't leave me alone until I do something about them. And there was a vibe that has been gnawing at me for three years. Three _years_ , I've ignored it but this year it got _worse_. And it's always had something to do with that _rat_. So I convinced Leili to help me get him. And then today, he was in our dorm. I don't know if he was there because Morgan and Artemis decided to put me out of my misery or if he was sneaking around our room on his own. So we decided to bring the little pedophile to you."

There was a mass increase in squeaking at the term 'pedophile', almost like the rat-man was trying to deny it.

"I see. Very interesting. Well, thank you for apprehending him, I'm sure Dumbledore will be very interested in what he has to say for himself. Especially considering he's _supposed_ to be dead."

Peter fell dead silent.

"Goodnight, girls," he dismissed them and they turned to head back to their dormitory.

Lupin cast a containment charm on the cage as the girls left. An hour later, the birdcage Pettigrew was in fell to the floor and Pettigrew wheeled his way out the door by rolling the cage like a giant hamster wheel. From there, Peter made his way back to Ron.

"Damn it Peter!" Lupin swore as he chased after the surprisingly fast cage.


	75. Hogwarts Year 5 Chapter 18

Warning

June 9th, 1994  
Fifth Year  
-

Jo and Leili had gone down to see Hagrid-Leili had left her book bag behind during lessons-and check on the results of Buckbeak's second appeal.

They knocked on the door and a sad, helpless looking Hagrid opened it, "Oh, hello you two. Nice of yeh to visit, we lost the case and Buckbeak's just been-he can sense it y'know, intelligent creatures, Hippogriffs."

"We're so sorry, Hagrid," Jo said while Leili tried to keep from tearing up. They didn't know Buckbeak well, but Hagrid spoke so highly of him and it was a shame that one spoiled boy's father could ruin two lives with his silver tongue and the swish of an axe. There was nothing the Slytherpuff Alliance could do for this.

"Is there anything we can do, to help?" Leili asked; they didn't have long before sunset but they'd do what they could.

"'Fraid not. What're yeh doin' down here anyway? It's nearly sunset!"

"I forgot my bag last lesson, came to grab it. Jo wanted to come along, safety in numbers." The girls didn't know that the Gryffindor trio had just snuck out the back door.

"Ah," Hagrid tossed back a blanket and unearthed Leili's bag, purple with white lightning striking through clouds, it had been a birthday gift from her mum. "Here ya go."

"Thanks, Hagrid."

There was a knock at the door.

"Yeh'd best be going," he sniffled as he ushered them out the door.

"Oh, Hello Professor Dumbledore, Minister," Leili said politely.

"You know, Minister, Buckbeak doesn't deserve this, he's a good Hippogriff. It wasn't _his_ fault Malfoy decided to play chicken," Jo said.

"The deed is done young lady, the appeal has come and gone and was declared in favor of execution. Now, you'd best see yourselves up to the castle, there you go, go on, go on."

"Miss Akina, Miss Montgomery," Dumbledore twinkled.

They bade Hagrid and Buckbeak farewell and started up towards the castle.

"Can I kill the Minister?" Jo whispered when they were out of earshot.

"How do you feel about Dementors?" Leili asked back.

"Not favorably."

"Then, no, you may not kill him."

"How about if I punch him?"

"Probably not a good idea."

"What if I just broke his nose _a little_?"

Suddenly, they heard the frantic squeaking of Scabbers as the trio was heading back up, hidden from sight by the invisibility cloak. Their voices, however, floated up to the girls and they turned around just in time to see Ron emerge from seemingly nowhere to chase after something small, presumably Scabbers, aka Peter Pettigrew. Then, in a flash of orange fur, Crookshanks leapt after the rat.

"Ron!" they heard Hermione yell before she and Harry also appeared out of thin air and ran full tilt boogie back down the hill after Ron into the fast approaching darkness.

"What are those kids doing?" Jo asked. They were just about to lose sight of them when they saw a flash of red hair fly through the air. And then they heard him scream as a shadow advanced on him.

They heard the telltale snap of bone and more screaming as the shadow dragged him towards the Whomping Willow where they disappeared.

"We need to get help, _now_." The girls took off running, across the bridge down the path, into the castle and through the corridor.

Their legs took them to the Potions classroom where they found Professor Snape, "Professor!" Jo called as they reached the doorway.

Their momentum carried them into the classroom and to the desk where Professor Snape stood watching them. The last time one of them had come literally running to him, she'd had valuable information and by the looks of them, this time was going to be no different.

"It's Harry, Ron and Hermione, sir," Jo said in a rush of breath, "Ron chased after his rat, Scabbers, actually Peter Pettigrew in the guise of a rat," Snape was moving towards the door at the mention of Pettigrew's name, "and he was attacked by something large and black, probably the size of a large dog." She would realize much later how accurate that description was. "It took him to the Whomping Willow and Harry and Hermione tried to follow. We lost sight of them and you're the first teacher we've found to tell," Snape was out the door and down the hall before she fully finished.

Snape hurried down the hall, going to rescue three of his least favorite students.

He immobilized the tree and slid through the hidden tunnel underneath. He picked up the discarded invisibility cloak and used it as he pushed open the door and slid inside to where Lupin and Black were telling the story of their school days and how James Potter had pulled him away from the Whomping Willow Branches.

"Why does saving them always include running?" Leili gasped as she caught her breath.

Jo didn't laugh. She paced the classroom, chewing on her thumbnail. "Something's wrong."

Leili sat on a desk and watched her best friend pace. Her stomach twisted into knots. "What's going on, Jo?"

"I don't _know_. Something to do with Lupin." Her vibes were almost never specific, just a gut feeling of wrongness. Occasionally, the feeling was tied to a person, but rarely. There was a long howl from the direction of the forest and both girls figured it out at the same time. " _Werewolf_ ," Jo breathed as Leili grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the room.

"We _can't_ go down there. If he smells or hears us, we're dead; you can't hide from a wolf. Professor Snape is down there; He'll keep them safe. Ok?"

Jo stared at Leili, jerking to stop. "Come on! There's a _hundred_ different ways we can do this!"

"Like _what_?!"

"We'll get some chicken or I don't know, something meaty and smelly, charm it to look like a deer and use it as a decoy. Or maybe charm a scent-can you charm scents?-and use that to throw him off! We can't just do nothing, I'm _sick_ of doing nothing!"

Leili shifted from foot to foot before asking, "How do we get to the kitchens from here?"

Jo instantly took control, "This way."

They begged different bits of meat off the house elves, one volunteered an entire meat pie and with both of them together and quite a lot of muttering they managed to fashion the meat into a deer shape and then with a careful, _careful_ concentration and care and frankly imagination Leili managed to get it to look like a doe with an illusion spell she was very much not supposed to know. She managed to get the thing onto its hooves and-while looking like a puppet master at a marionette show-managed to get it to move.

"If Lupin doesn't buy this, I blame you,"

"Yeah, yeah, blame me later, let's go!" And they went, clumsily with much annoyed swearing, but they went.

Jo _wingardium leviosa_ -ed their deer down steps and Leilani threw her whole body into making the thing move.

They hurried down to the Whomping Willow only to find Lupin fully transformed, if it weren't for the kids standing warily around him, they'd have thought he was a regular wolf.

Struck by an idea, Jo started pulling up handfuls of wet grass, tossing them to one side she dug up piles of mud. Without waiting, she began to smear it on Leili's cheeks and neck, her arms, any bit of exposed skin that might give off a scent, she also shoved some into Leili's shirt sleeves.

Leili bit back a yelp as the cold muck encountered her armpits.

Jo did the same thing to her own skin, trying to cover as much of their shampoo and deodorant smell as she could. Snape was unconscious, floating in front of the rag-tag group. Pettigrew was nowhere to be seen, but Ron was handcuffed to Lupin. The big black dog was standing on his back legs, swatting at Lupin, who had broken out of the manacle around his paw.

Lupin snapped at the dog and the dog clamped his jaws around Lupin's neck. Lupin didn't like that, he tore free of the dog and they stood: snapping, clawing, tearing at each other. Leili sent her makeshift doe into the fray; the doe circled the dog and the werewolf before heading off into the woods.

"Get the kids out of here," Leili instructed Jo.

"I'm not leaving you."

" _Do you have a better idea?_ " she hissed.

"Actually, yes." Jo pointed her wand at Professor Snape, " _Ennervate._ "

Snape regained consciousness, snarled " _Potter,_ " and threw himself in front of the kids when he realized there was a werewolf on the loose.

"Oh. Good plan." The wolf tore after the deer and the dog shot a look at Snape guarding the trio before chasing after Lupin. The girls followed the dog into the forest and lost him. They didn't know which way Lupin had gone.

"I've lost the werewolf!" Leili said.

" _How do you lose a werewolf?!_ "

"It's easier than you'd think!" The deer was in pieces because Lupin was not himself and thinking only of food, which the deer smelled like. They were left standing alone in the Forbidden Forest.

Later, Sirius would find himself having to explain how a deer-that-wasn't- _actually_ -a-deer managed to distract and then out-run (for a time) a hungry werewolf.

Suddenly the sounds of a dog in pain echoed through the forest and the clearing and the world went cold. The girls ran towards the sound, they heard Harry try to cast a spell, the same spell over and over again. When they reached the lake and saw the Dementors sucking the souls out of Harry and a too-thin man they shouted, " _Protego!_ " and _"Repello Inimicum!_ "

The Dementors moved out of the way but they seemed to be waiting. Biding their time until the shield charms collapsed. They swiped at the shields, pushing them, testing them, _weakening_ them.

Then, a voice that sounded like Harry's came from the other side of the lake and a bright animal, glowing silvery blue galloped towards the Dementors, ramming them with great, branching antlers and throwing them away. The Dementors fled and the stag eventually faded.

Snape found them in the forest. The girls had kept the shield charms up but opened a hole wide enough to let Snape through when he found them what felt like hours later.

"You should not have come down here," he said.

They didn't respond.

They followed him up to the hospital wing, with Harry and Snape's new prisoner in tow. An unconscious Sirius Black was hardly a threat, but it was glaringly obvious that Snape didn't like him; he kept letting him float headfirst into trees.

They allowed Madam Pomfrey to look them over for injuries after she'd treated Ron, Harry and Hermione; they were unscathed. She'd sent them off to bed with a sleeping draught, which they obediently took- _after_ scrubbing their skins almost raw in the shower.

When they woke the next morning, Jo was almost sick with the feeling of Déjà vu. They didn't know that Hermione and Harry had turned back time to rescue Buckbeak and Sirius.

They didn't _know_ that Harry was the one who cast the Patronus-though they did suspect (based on the voice they heard casting the spell). They _really_ didn't know that Harry could just make out their outlines in the wand light from across the lake. They couldn't know that Harry was reminded of the two voices and shoes he'd seen in the chamber last year.

They'd be delighted to know that while they puzzled him to no end, their identities remained secret. They did know that Jo's Déjà vu subsided as soon as the clock struck the hour they had returned to their dorm from the lake. They also knew that that was _highly_ suspicious.


	76. Hogwarts Year 5 Chapter 19

Another Shortie. This is the last chapter of their 5th year and then we're into 6th. Fair warning, year 6 is not complete yet. The delay between chapters may span more than the usual month, to make it up though of the 31 chapters so far, only about 5 are a page or less in length. As usual, all right belong to whom they belong.

* * *

Idiots

June 10th, 1994

Fifth year

It was the last week of the school year and the grounds were buzzing with the news, Professor Lupin was a _werewolf_. A _werewolf_ had been teaching the students. What if he'd lost control? What if he'd bitten somebody? How could Dumbledore have allowed it? But he was the best Defense teacher they'd ever had, so what if he had a disease that had been foisted upon him? He'd taken steps to ensure the safety of his students and he was being kicked out because one teacher held a childhood grudge. How was that fair?

Malfoy was furious over Buckbeak's escape, Snape was furious over Sirius Black's escape. There was a ripple of concern over that last-after all, he was a deranged murderer, wasn't he?

Though the girls didn't know it, Sirius and Buckbeak were in hiding together and Harry now had one more piece of his father to carry around with him, not only was his patronus a stag but his father's best friend had now become one of his. The girls also didn't know that Sirius was innocent, or that Peter Pettigrew had been responsible for the death of Harry's parents. They had their suspicions that something had gone sideways, but they couldn't prove anything. "Why didn't they just check Black's wand for last spell cast?" Jo asked

"I don't know. Maybe they assumed he could used a different wand? I mean they had a street full of people swearing up and down that he did it, and they had Pettigrew's finger as evidence, I guess they didn't think they needed much more than that," Leili shrugged.

"That's dumb."

"Wizards, for all their magic, for all their brilliance, can be idiots."


End file.
